The Wild
by Justright
Summary: I added an epilogue to the story :) This is an AU where Cole lives among Indians but he dreams of a young lady whom he might soon meet under shocking circumstances
1. Default Chapter

Content Warning: a rape 

Disclaimer: All the characters from Charmed belong to the Charmed Productions and Spelling. I only lay claim on the character (s) that I created myself… No Copyright infringement with the show of Charmed is intended with this story. 

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The Wild   
Chapter I

She was looking at the horses, but not really seeing them. It was her favorite hideout, for she couldn't stand the constant string of visitors coming to the mansion. Her family was wealthy and well liked in the community, she knew. But it wasn't the kind of life that she aspired to. Her mother was on her back non-stop for her to become more of a lady; one that would be ready to entertain in good society, and marry a proper suitor. Phoebe was convinced that her mother's outburst of social activities had to do with her coming of age. This didn't give her any incentive to partake in them. She just didn't feel like settling down… At nineteen, she was longing for a life filled with excitement and variety. Certainly not belonging to a man for the rest of her life…"Unless I know that he's the one," she wistfully added then. 

"Phoebe," her mother was calling. Phoebe sighed heavily. 

"Phoebe!" She called more impatiently, and Phoebe knew that her quiet time was over. She went out of the stables slowly, savoring every last moment… "Yes mother," she uttered respectfully, when she saw her at the door of the mansion. Her mother gestured impatiently, but she waited until Phoebe was closer to speak again. "Where were you? I told you that we had company tonight…" Phoebe feigned contrition. "I'm sorry mother, I must've forgotten… Who is it?" 

She had asked this without much enthusiasm. Her mother ignored her lack of interest however. Instead she pursued eagerly. "Do you remember the young banker that your uncle told us about? He's well off and really handsome, believe me. I would appreciate if you behaved nicely toward him…" Of course, her mother was referring to a few inappropriate comments she had made to some of the prospective husbands, whom she had shoved at Phoebe in the past. Phoebe had been cursed with a sharp tongue, as her mother told her all the time. This had not helped at all with those men, who were simply expecting a pretty little thing with no brains. At least, that is how Phoebe saw them. She followed her mother inside, and was about to enter the salon with her, when this one stopped abruptly. "You don't intend to meet this man looking like this, do you?" 

"What do you mean, mother?" 

"Phoebe! You look like a servant. You even smell like the stables. Sometimes I wonder if you really are of my blood." 

Phoebe might have been offended by the comment, if it hadn't been one that she heard countless times before. She had even wished on occasion that she wasn't. Then she wouldn't have to go through this farce over and over. However, if she could say the damnedest things to those suitors, she never could disobey her mother. In spite of Phoebe's bitterness toward her mother's intentions, she still wanted to please her. So that was why she went to, as her mother would put it, make herself more presentable. 

Thirty minutes later, she came back and entered the salon under her mother's approving stare. "I look the part", she thought to herself, "but I can't feel it inside." She added dejectedly. 

A few people were assembled there, all drinking cocktails, and deep in conversation. Prue, her mother, took her arm and directed her toward an alcove, where her father, Paul MacKail, was talking to a tall and very distinctive man. His clothing told of a rich man, the kind of proper suitor her mother dreamt her daughter would have. Phoebe sighed, but she still put on a good face for her mother's sake. Her first impression wasn't as bad as she had feared. The man had sweet blue eyes, and a comely face to go with it. His hair was blond, almost white. But he was obviously no more than thirty. Compared to most of the men her mother had thrown at her, he was at least a little more acceptable. Still, in her young mind, she thought that if she ever found the right man, she would know right away, without hesitation. Once or twice, she had tried to talk to her mother about it, but this one had dismissed it as just the follies of youth. "Mademoiselle, you are a vision," the young man said emphatically. 

Phoebe couldn't help being flattered; even though it wasn't the first time that she got compliments from men. In fact, she was a very pretty girl. Her brown shiny hair, she wore long and only tied loosely. She had a heart shaped face, with a slight tan complexion, unlike most ladies. Her lips were full and inviting, but her eyes were what attracted the attention first, however. They were animated, full of life. She could express almost everything without a single word through those. 

This was not to say that words didn't come easily to her. She was very well read, but enjoyed most of all, romance and adventure novels. Prue often told her that she should spend less time in her books and more at learning how to behave in society. "Maybe this way, you would understand that the stories in those books are just that, stories." She told her often. 

"Why thank you sir, you're too kind." Phoebe gracefully replied. She was rewarded by Prue's approving glance. 

"Let me introduce myself, Miss Phoebe. My name is Leo, Leo Wyatt." He took her hand delicately and pretended to kiss it in the proper way. 

She smiled to please her mother, but also because the young man struck her as a nice one. Not the love at first sight kind, but at least one she could envision being friends with. 

He continued. "Your father, here, tells me that you are a very skilled rider?" 

This was another subject of dissent in the house. Her mother had nothing to say about her riding per say, but her father had taught her the men's way of doing so. No matter how many times her mother tried convincing her to ride the lady's way, Phoebe enjoyed her own too much. It didn't help that her father showed pride in her skills… "I do enjoy riding, indeed. Although, you probably think that it is not very ladylike," Phoebe taunted, in spite of herself. Her mother cast a warning look at her, but Leo replied: "On the contrary, I think that it's good for a woman to be energetic." 

Phoebe was pleasantly surprised by his answer and she smiled sincerely in response. Her parents took leave of them, and for the next hour, she actually enjoyed the conversation with him. "Maybe, I could come visit and ride with you sometimes this week," Leo was now saying, "if you have no objections, of course." 

She couldn't find any. "I would like that, I think." 

"Then it's a promise." Leo replied with a sweet smile. 

A domestic, announcing that the supper was served, interrupted their conversation. He took her arm gallantly, and they moved on with the rest of the company. 

That night, Phoebe wondered about the feelings that she was having. It was far from being as passionate as she had imagined, but she could actually see herself spending more time with the young man. 

The Shaman came to him with a pensive expression. Because he knew that he had the gift, he had chosen Cole to succeed him in spite of his origins. He had also raised him as his son, ever since the boy had come to them. Some members of the tribe were still reticent about his choice, but they respected the old man and chose to trust in his judgement. However, the young man was having doubts himself lately. Once more that night, the Shaman could feel his longing for something different. 

He found him sitting by the fire, lost in thoughts. "What is troubling you, son?" 

Cole seemed to be coming out of a trance, as he looked up at his mentor. The Shaman knew that in those moments, he saw things well beyond their camp. "I saw her again, in the waking dream…" 

He had been having this dream for a while, and the Shaman knew that it was in great part the reason for his doubts of late. "Was that the white woman again?" 

"Yes, Shaman, one that I have never seen, but she haunts my dreams…" 

The Shaman sighed. "I don't know what this means son, but white women are not for us." Even if he knew that Cole was white from birth, very few could have guessed at his appearance. The outdoor life had given him a copper skin that allowed him to blend easily with the warriors of the tribe. Only his piercing blue eyes betrayed his origins. "You know that if you need a woman, it's not a problem for you. Your future position aside; most women here find you attractive." The Shaman had said this with a knowing smile. 

Cole was very much aware of this, and had taken advantage more than once of his popularity. The chief's daughter, in particular, had been the beneficiary of his favors many times in recent weeks. The thought of her brought a smile to his lips. "That is not what I meant, ancient one. Although, it was part of it," he added dreamily, telling the Shaman that the vision wasn't only spiritual. 

"You have to put her out of your mind. Besides, I heard from a few that white women are no good in bed. They have too many inhibitions." He laughed at the thought. Cole, or Jolon by his Indian name, laughed as well, but still added: "At least in the vision, she's almost as good as Noayak." 

The Shaman laughed louder. "Well Jolon, remember that it's only a vision. You probably embellished." 

Cole smiled at his mentor, but soon became more serious: "She's so beautiful, father." 

"You have to forget about her," the old man was now saying more seriously, "and concentrate on your apprentice work. I'm not getting any younger, Jolon. Soon, it will be your turn to lead the tribe spiritually. Maybe it would help if you finally chose a wife? You mentioned Noayak, and she'd be a good choice for you." 

The girl in question was coming toward them, a large smile illuminating her beautiful face. She was a stunning girl of seventeen seasons. In spite of her youth, she was all woman and Cole had not failed to notice it. This night promised to be just as pleasant as the many they had spent together from the look of her. She shamelessly came toward him, sitting by his side, and putting her hand on his thigh in a very possessive manner. The Shaman got up, nodding approvingly, and left them without a word. 

"I tire of waiting for you, Jolon. My skin is burning just at the thought of you. Please, come, lie with me." The alluring glint in her eyes ignited his desire and helped him forget for a time about the woman of the visions as he followed her to his tent. 

Noayak was laughing softly as she pushed him to the ground and lied over him, her skin indeed seemingly on fire against his. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. Then she rose just long enough to undress, letting him admire her perfectly curved body. Her breasts had the firmness of youth, and his hand flew to them, kneading them, as he knew she liked to be touched. She smiled luridly and came down on him, kissing his chest and going down to his belly, slowly, agonizingly. He moaned in anticipation as her teeth caught the edge of his thong and pulled it down just as slowly. He was already aroused and ready for her, but she knew how to prolong his pleasure, and as much as he wanted her, he let her decide when the time was right. She went back up his thighs with small kisses that gave him chills of pleasure. When he thought that he couldn't wait any longer, she knew instinctively and she sat on him, opening for him to enter her. He did so almost violently, and she screamed of pleasure, throwing her head backward and pushing herself on him. He seized her buttocks and rising up to her, he took her breast in his mouth, delighted at the earthy taste of her skin. As they reached ecstasy however, his mind was once more fantasizing about the white woman… 

Phoebe woke up with a start. She had dreamt of him, again; the stranger that had come to her a few times in her sleep. She wondered how a dream man could feel so real. Her heart was still beating hard at the memory. 

She got up, and went to the dresser, intent on simply getting ready for the day. However, as she was picking up a blouse, her eyes fell on the diary that she had hidden among her clothes. She picked it up and went back to sit on the bed. In this diary, she put her most intimate thoughts, and the latest entry described her imaginary lover. 'He was there again, so intense, his piercing blue eyes seemingly looking into my soul. Not a gentleman, far from, but a savage with strange markings on his face and body. Oh, the way he looked, I'm blushing at the thought.' 

Still, she had continued writing: 'He was almost naked, and not at all ashamed of it, on the contrary. His copper skin gleamed in the sunlight, inviting me to caress him. Last night, he came to me and kissed me. It felt so real that I woke up in sweat. I fear that he is too good to be true. No man, not even Leo could compare…' 

She closed the diary, and stared in contemplation. Why couldn't she feel about Leo the way she felt for this man that existed only in her dreams? The banker was so sweet and attentive. She had tried her best to feel more than a simple friendly affection for him, but she feared that this fantasy lover would spoil her for any other man. 

She shook her head, as if trying to chase cobwebs away, and got back up again. "I have to get back to reality," she told herself. Then she thought that this sounded like one of her mother's reproaches. She sighed and put back the diary in the drawer, but not before she had caressed its cover longingly. Then, she berated herself again for her foolishness. She knew that he didn't exist. Who ever heard of a savage with blue eyes? 

She couldn't say that she had seen many of them, although some came to the town for trade, occasionally. Only a few tribes had dealings with white men, however. Most of them stayed well away, and she couldn't help but being glad. Horror stories had come to her ears, as she listened to unsuspecting men, describing attacks by the Indians. 

Men usually kept these stories for themselves. Females were supposed to be too sensitive to hear of such things. Phoebe had to admit that those accounts were somewhat scary indeed, but she couldn't help being curious. She threw one last longing look toward the diary, then closed the drawer resolutely, determined to forget about him. Savages, imaginary or real, had no place in her world… 

Her mother was in a joyous mood that morning. Phoebe thought it to be refreshing, as she was unusually animated. "So, did Leo tell you what the surprise was yet?" Prue questioned almost immediately. 

Phoebe had her doubts about her mother's inquiries. She was certain that she was expecting a proposal, and she shrugged imperceptibly at the thought, while still smiling for her mother: "No, he hasn't. Actually, he's coming early today. We've planned an outing, and then he promised to tell me what it was." 

Prue had trouble keeping her enthusiasm in check and Phoebe felt that she should temper it somewhat. "You know mother," she continued, without being asked, "I don't think that we're ready for any kind of commitment just yet…" 

"I wasn't saying…" 

This time, Phoebe smiled sincerely: "Yes you were, mother. However, even if it was the surprise, I'm not sure what my answer would be." 

Prue stared at her in disbelief, not trying to conceal her expectations anymore: "How could you say this? Most girls would be thrilled to marry a man like him. You're privileged that he should be interested in you." Phoebe shrugged again, but this time, noticeably. "It would be about time that you got out of your dream world, and start living in the real one, Phoebe. You won't be young forever." 

Phoebe suddenly became defiant, surprising even herself: "What if I don't want to get married ever? What if I want to live my life without being a man's possession?" 

Prue was now horrified: "My god, girl! What are in those books of yours? Maybe, I should take them away from you?" 

Phoebe glared at her mother: "I don't need books to tell me that I could be so much more than just a wife." She knew right then that she had gone too far from the hurt on her mother's face. "I'm sorry mother, I didn't mean it the way it sounded…" 

Prue interrupted: "Don't bother. I only hope that you'll become more reasonable soon, because I fear for your future if you don't." Phoebe looked down in contrition, but she couldn't help being furious as well. Even if this had been said in anger, she really meant most of it. It was true that she liked Leo well enough, but even after the last few weeks, where he had been nothing but charming and pleasant, she still wasn't ready to spend her life with him, or any other man for that matter. 

After they had finally found game to bring back to the village, the hunters were gathered around the fire. The hunt was becoming increasingly difficult, and they knew that it would soon be time to move to a better territory. "If there are any left," they all thought. The white man was invading them so quickly that they felt trapped in their own land. They were very tired after the long days of searching for preys, and that is probably why the two men with guns surprised them. 

They reacted instinctively, one of them throwing his knife at the first intruder. This one was hit and screamed in pain, while the other, seeing what happened didn't hesitate to shoot the hunter. Then he pulled his injured friend behind a trunk and recharged quickly. He barely had time to finish that another hunter was on him. He shot that one point blank, killing him instantly. The third one, the only one left of the hunting party, seeing both his companions dead, ran away. 

However, the white man wouldn't be satisfied with his two kills. He had time to recharge and the hunter felt the bullet enter his arm, like hot iron. The pain was intense, but he knew that he had to continue if he wanted to live. There were no other gunshots afterward, but he continued running for a long time. After a while however, he realized that they could follow his trail, as the wound was bleeding profusely. Therefore, he finally stopped and bandaged the wound, then used all the tricks that he knew of in order to lose his potential pursuers. By the time he finally reached the village, he was close to total exhaustion, but certain that they wouldn't track him there… He fell down at the edge of the village, barely conscious. Kids playing found him and alerted the elders. It took a while before he could tell his story, but when he did, the warriors became enraged and poised for revenge. 

The Shaman observed this agitation with a very worried expression. Then he saw Cole going toward them, and he moved to stop him. "You can't start acting as crazy as they do. This is not your fight." 

"Those men killed our brothers. This is everybody's fight." 

"You have a different destiny, Jolon. You're not a warrior." 

"I want to help them. This demands a response." 

"I fear that the white man is too powerful for us. This is a foolish venture." 

Cole looked at the old man with a hint of contempt: "I won't be a coward hiding behind with the women…" 

The Shaman forgave the insult only because he knew what truly motivated his apprentice. He still insisted, however. "Your visions are too precious to our people for you to risk your life needlessly." Cole simply ignored this, and started walking again. "Jolon," the Shaman called again, "I know why you're so eager to go. You don't need to prove anything." He saw him hesitate, and almost continue on his way, but then he turned back toward his mentor. 

He came back slowly: "They all think that I'm not worthy of them. That I'm different." 

The Shaman closed the gap between them and said calmly: "But you are different, and it's a good thing." Cole turned halfway toward the warriors, still unsure of what he should do. 

The Shaman seemed to think, and then he went on: "Maybe you should go after all…You may be right about their way of thinking. You could also advise them, and help keep them safe." 

"I'm not ready for this." 

"Yes you are, you just don't know it yet. But you will… When it's needed, it'll come to you." Cole had his doubts, but he respected the ancient's opinion. Now cooled off, he simply nodded in agreement and left to join the warriors. These looked at him with curiosity, but he stood tall and looked back confidently. That was enough for them. 

Cole had another reason for wanting to be part of this, and he suspected that the Shaman knew this as well, even if he had not said. He barely remembered the time before he came to the tribe, but he still could see images. On occasion, he had memories of his parents, and even though these didn't bring longing anymore, he felt curiosity about his origins. His parents had been killed by another Indian tribe when he was eight years old… The braves of the tribe in question had chosen to keep him alive and to raise him themselves, but he had run away, finding the tribe that he was living in now, rather than the white men. No matter how angry he was against the Indians, whom had killed his parents, a vision had told him where he should go. Then he simply decided that he had been directed to these people because it was where he belonged. The Shaman had taken him under his protection after Cole told him how he came to their village. This one had assumed that Cole had to have been sent by the Spirits, and chose him at an early age as his replacement. Until recently, Cole had not experienced any doubts about his place in the world, in spite of the reservations some people in the village still harbored about him. He had not felt any desire to go back to the white men's world at all. That is, until the dreams started. Those had awakened his curiosity about his past. Ever since he had come to live with the Indians, he had never been near a white man except for one missionary, who had stayed with them for a while, without much success at converting them. His tribe was of those that kept well away from the white man. 

On the other hand, Cole had been able to practice his English with him, and that might be useful on their current quest. In retrospect, he wondered if the Shaman had not sent him as some kind of test. Maybe so that Jolon could make an enlightened choice. However, no matter how curious he was, he knew in his heart that he would never choose to go back. Of that he was certain. He was perfectly happy with the Indians, and only wanted a glimpse of this other world… 

They had been riding for over an hour, and Phoebe enjoyed the feeling of freedom that came with this every time. So much so that she had almost forgotten about Leo' surprise… However, when they were on their way back, she became increasingly curious about it and a little anxious as well. "So what was it that you wanted to tell me," she asked. 

Leo glanced in her direction with an amused smile: "I was wondering how long it would take before you asked about it." 

"I must admit that you have me intrigued, and to be honest, a little nervous." 

"You're going to love it, don't worry. However, I would prefer that we waited until your parents are with us before I tell you…" 

This didn't reassure Phoebe in the least. "What if it's a proposal," she thought. "What would I say? I like him, and I still want to be his friend, but that's all," she continued for herself, as she gave him a furtive look. Leo was staring ahead and didn't notice her slightly worried expression. 

At the mansion, her parents were waiting for them anxiously, curious as they were to know what the big surprise was. Phoebe went with them in the salon, very nervous, but trying to hide it. Leo took a moment to sit and he smiled around: "Well, I suppose that I made you wait long enough." 

"You could say that. Now talk." Paul said with a good natured smile. 

"Well, as you probably know, my bank has ties in other cities and settlements. And what's more, your daughter told me a few times already that she'd like to travel… Well, I have committed to bring some funds to a settlement that lays a ways, west of here. It's very wild out there, but I thought that your daughter might accompany me on the trip…" Phoebe almost jumped out of her chair: "Really! Oh I'd love that!" 

Prue frowned: "Wait a minute… that's not possible. First of all, it's not proper…" 

Leo interjected: "Oh sorry, you didn't give me a chance to finish. I meant that the offer was for all of you, of course. It would be a one week trip and give a chance to you and your daughter to see the country like you've never seen it before." 

"But the Indians, the animals…It is too dangerous…" 

"I'd never risk your safety, rest assured. We'd have armed guards and a guide well appraised of this part of the country. What's more, most tribes we might encounter have no interest in attacking us. The true danger lays further south." 

"I'm sorry," Paul said then, "but really, I couldn't leave even if I wanted to. I have pressing matters to attend to here…" 

Leo was growing more disappointed by the moment, and so was Phoebe: "Madame?" 

"I can't go. I get sick only traveling to the nearby city. Let alone a week…" Prue protested. 

"Oh mother please! I might never have a chance like that again." Phoebe pleaded to her mother. 

"It's out of the question. I can't go and neither can your father. So, there's no way that you will go alone with this gentleman. No offense, Mr. Wyatt, but that would be totally inappropriate." 

"Wait, I might have a solution." Phoebe interjected, "Why don't I ask Piper and Paige to come with us?" These were the cousins that she had practically been raised with. Their own family was not as wealthy as Phoebe's, and her parents had taken care of the girls often. Phoebe, being an only child had been happy to have them as friends as well as cousins. She was particularly close to Paige, who had a similar passion for adventure, although maybe not as pronounced as Phoebe's. "Piper is older than me, and would be a proper escort." 

"She's barely a year older than you, and at any rate, what makes you think that they'd like to go there?" 

"At least, let me ask them? If they agreed, would you let me go then?" 

Her parents hesitated, but she seemed so enthusiastic about it that they didn't see how they could object anymore. Besides, Prue reflected that this trip might help her daughter grow closer to the young man, and who knew what this could bring. Of course, she knew what she was hoping for… "Alright… but only if Piper agrees to accompany you… And Sir, you have better promise to keep her safe." 

"That's a promise. No harm will come to your daughter, Madame. On the contrary," he added, looking affectionately toward Phoebe. However, this one was already getting up and practically running out of the room. She was almost out when she stopped short and turned back questioningly: "When would we go?" 

"Departure is set for tomorrow morning, very early." 

Phoebe smiled anew and went on her way… 

They had followed the route described to them by the hunter, and after a two days walk through the forest, they found themselves where he had stopped to bandage his arm. Very few white people lived in these parts. Most came here to hunt or prospect. It had been an even bigger shock to them, because of this, as they had settled in this place for the very reason of its isolation from the white man. Their anger was compounded by frustration. 

They had decided to try finding the guilty party himself. He had an injured man with him and might not be as fast as they could be. Meanwhile the trapper and his companions had rejoined with a group that they belonged to. Indeed they were trappers and had been just as surprised by their encounter with the Indians as those had been. Not that they didn't expect to see Indians, but their reaction had been so violent that the other men in the camp decided to organize a posse. They wanted to make sure that they could safely hunt in these territories, and concluded that the Indians living there were a threat. 

Cole and his companions were following the trail of blood in reverse, when they came face to face with the posse in question. The two groups were on either side of a narrow waterway and stared at each other for an instant before the men from the posse shouldered their guns. The warriors raised their bows, but before they could attack, bullets were flying their way and the man beside Cole fell to the ground, mortally wounded, along with two more in his party. The other warriors saw that they were clearly outdone and re-entered the forest in a hurry, followed closely by the white men. Fortunately the Indians knew the terrain better than the hunters, which allowed them to put distance between them and their pursuers rapidly. Only when they were convinced that they had lost the posse, did they stop. 

The men were angry and frustrated anew. Cole himself couldn't forget the one that he saw falling beside him and rage mounted in him as well. However, he convinced the warriors that these men were too well armed for them to be able to do anything about it. One of the men then made a suggestion. "I agree with you, Jolon. But the death of our brothers has to be avenged. Not all white people are so well protected. And besides, with a little preparation, I'm sure that we would have a chance to succeed." 

Cole found this idea somewhat repulsive, but agreed that the death of their brothers warranted action. Therefore, they set out to travel toward a more populous area… In the distance, they heard the noisy hunting party, which had lost their tracks completely. 

It had taken some convincing, but Piper had finally agreed to the trip, when assaulted not only by Phoebe, but also by Paige, who was just as excited at the idea of such a trek. 

"If you refuse to come," Phoebe was now pleading, "I won't be allowed and I want this so much. It's like a dream come true. It's my best chance to see this wilderness, which I only read about until now." 

"What about the dangers?" Piper questioned warily. "Are we so certain that it's safe?" 

"Hey Phoebe told you," Paige added, "we're going to have armed guards and besides, it's not all that wild this way anymore. I heard that many farmers have settled there. Come on Piper, live a little… When will we have the chance to do this again, just as Phoebe said…?" 

Phoebe saw her hesitate some more. "Please, pretty please? Come on, it'll be fun. And besides, what better things do we have to do here?" 

"You're talking about spending nights in the open, Phoebe, not a picnic…" 

"All the better!" 

Paige and her were staring expectantly at Piper and after another moment, she finally agreed: "I better not regret this!" 

"I promise you that you won't, thank you!" Phoebe exclaimed. 

Piper smiled, unable to resist her cousin's enthusiasm. "Then I guess, you better leave us now. If we want to be ready for tomorrow, we have a lot to do." 

"You're right, so do I. I'll see you tomorrow. Don't forget, we're going very early." 

Paige answered for the both of them: "We won't forget." 

This had been three days earlier. Now, they were on their way and Phoebe, however tired, was still just as enthusiastic about the trip. Out the windows of the coach, she could see a group of buffaloes grazing in the plains. And in the distance, a thick forest was coming on. Four armed men were riding with the coach, and by now she knew them all by name. They had showered her and her cousins with attentions through these three days. Those men were obviously more rugged than the girls were used to, but at the same time also friendlier. The only cloud on the trip came from Leo himself. The morning they were to depart, Piper and Paige had come to the house just as Leo was arriving to pick them up. The moment that Piper and he saw each other, it was obvious that he had been very impressed by her cousin. Phoebe still could not see herself living with him, yet this turn of event had annoyed her immensely. For the next few days, he had still been very attentive to her, but he had also spent a lot of time with Piper, who seemed to like him just as much. Even now, as she turned back toward them, she thought that she caught a longing look between them and her irritation came back all at once. However, she tried her best to hide this from them: "Leo, how much time do we still have to travel to get to the settlement?" 

Leo seemed to need a moment to focus on her question. "Oh, no more than a day, now…We still have to go across the forest that is coming up, but the road is already built and it should be a smooth ride. Are you tired of this trip already?" 

"No, of course not… I'm so grateful for this. And you were right, the Indians that we encountered were nothing like I heard described." 

She was referring to a few Indian settlements that they had come across during the trip. They had even traded a few items with them, to the girls' delight. Phoebe had also secretly looked closely at some of the men in those villages. Against her better judgement, she was searching for the man of her dreams… Of course, she had not found him, and the thought of her foolishness brought a smile to her lips, making her temporarily forget about her irritation toward Leo and Piper. 

After crossing the mountains, Cole and the warriors had reached a forest, and they were now watching the carriage coming down the road toward them. In the underbrush lied a scout sent ahead most probably by the other armed guards with guns that they could now distinguish. He had been easily dispatched with and had given them the idea that the hit would be easier than they had expected. 

One of them turned to the others: "Those white people are stupid. They do not even try to hide their passage." 

Cole was observing the carriage as well, but something else was on his mind. From the moment that they had seen it, a strange feeling had invaded him. As if these people coming toward them, had been somehow connected to him. He saw the braves poised for the attack, and couldn't feel the same as they did. "What was it that bothered him," he thought. Still, when the coach was close enough, he followed the others toward the hiding places they had chosen for their ambush. 

The first two guards were already under the cover of the trees and suddenly Phoebe felt something, an indefinable feeling of dread mixed with some weird anticipation. She looked through the window at the dark forest, but saw nothing there other than the trees. Then the coach entered it in turn… 


	2. The Wild (Chapter 2)

Chapter II  
  
  
  
Piper was pleasantly surprised with the overall feel of this trip. For the last three days, even the fact that they had been sleeping in make shift tents, didn't bother her at all. However, she had to admit that her pleasure was due in the most part to Leo's presence. She had realized early on that the attraction she felt for him was mutual. Phoebe had not said a word to her about it, but she wasn't fooled. She had caught her cousin watching them many times in the last few days. What bothered her however, was the fact that Phoebe didn't seem nearly as interested in him as her reproachful stares would have implied. Maybe that was why she had given in to her attraction, and let herself dream that this could go further. However, she realized that the possibility of them really being together was thin at best. She was only Phoebe's poor cousin. Her family's less than stellar holdings would most certainly give him pause, even if he was considering seeing her after this trip. "No matter," she thought to herself, "if only for now, he's here and I will enjoy every moment." At first, she had felt guilty about it, but she soon forgot about the guilt, surprising herself, as she was usually a worrier, and she simply responded to his attentions. Nothing had happened that she should be ashamed of, at any rate. Just benign flirting… At the moment, she could feel his eyes on her, and it gave her a tingling sensation. She couldn't help looking back at him with a very inviting smile, and the expression on his face told her that very little would be needed for him to forget about the others in the coach.  
  
Leo was a very confused man at the moment. He liked Phoebe very much; he liked her energy, her enthusiasm. She was also a very beautiful girl, who could have made any man happy. Yet, ever since he had caught sight of Piper, his feelings had been utterly mixed up. She was so sweet and obviously a loving person. Much more than pretty, to him, she was breathtaking. Every chance he got, he would try to get close to her, even though he felt guilty about it.  
  
He knew that Phoebe wasn't nearly as interested as he had been in their budding relationship. Yet, he had felt that they were moving toward something more serious. That is, until he had met Piper. From that moment on, confusion had replaced certainty in him. It didn't help that he saw the looks of reproach coming from Phoebe as well. Even then, he couldn't help wanting to look at Piper and admire her in spite of his remorse. She was just responding to his stare with that beautiful smile and once more, he felt his heart melting. "What will I do," he asked himself for the umpteenth time in the last few days…  
  
Paige was simply overjoyed with this trip. True, spending nights in the wild was a little more difficult than she had imagined. Yet, it had been an experience that she would remember all her life. The men who accompanied them on the trip had been falling all over themselves to help them. They were obviously smitten by their charges, and she loved the feeling. She wasn't used to so much attention, and it pleased her immensely. Besides that, they had already seen things that she had not even imagined in her wildest dreams. Animals she only knew by name now had shapes that she could recognize. She had a talent for painting and had used this trip to draw many sketches. She expected to have a lot to work on once they were back home. She was thinking of all the wonderful things that she had seen and barely noticed as the light dimmed in the coach when they entered the forest.  
  
Phoebe looked back once more toward her companions and she realized that she was the only one who felt this dread. She chastised herself, thinking that her overactive imagination must have been at work. She looked out again and could see one of the riders by the window. He was so close, in the somewhat oppressing forest, she believed that she could have touched him or the horse, if she had fancied to. As she was observing them, she noticed that the horse suddenly recoiled. It had been a slight movement, but the rider noticed it too, as she saw him looking down toward the horse. He seemed irritated, but also puzzled. The horse recoiled again, just as he was watching it, and this time, he looked out toward the trees, his face showing a hint of apprehension. Phoebe then looked toward the forest as well. However, the thick canopy allowed only a limited view of the surroundings. She felt a wave of anxiety growing in her and she looked back and forth between her unsuspecting companions and the guard, who seemed to become more alert for every moment.  
  
This time the horse actually reared off and the guard knew that something had to be amiss. He seemed about to warn the others when Phoebe watched in horror the arrow flying toward him and hitting him square in the chest. It had been so sudden that he hadn't even had time to utter a scream before he fell off the horse. She was so stunned that at first she didn't react. But then, noticing that the guard on the other side of the coach had also fallen out of sight, she finally screamed of fright.  
  
Leo, Piper and Paige all turned toward her in total bewilderment. None of them had observed anything.  
  
"Phoebe! What is it?" Leo exclaimed.  
  
"Oh my god, I think that we're under attack." Phoebe replied. All the horrible stories had come back to her at once, and she was now trembling in fear. She wasn't used to feel so helpless and couldn't explain herself any further.  
  
Leo put his head through the open window on his side of the coach and quickly removed it. The look on his face told them that Phoebe had been right on the mark.  
  
"Get down!" He screamed anxiously.  
  
The women didn't wait for more and went down toward the floor of the coach, hugging each other. A loud thump on the coach's roof told them that someone had jumped on it. Soon after this, they heard clamors outside, as the vehicle came to a halt. Leo picked up a gun from his baggage and prepared to defend the women the best he could, as it was becoming increasingly obvious that the guards had failed in protecting them…  
  
Suddenly, a painted face appeared on Leo' side of the coach and this one tried to shoot him. The painted man didn't give Leo the chance however, and he rudely pulled Leo out of the coach through the opening, almost breaking the door doing so. Leo lost grip on the gun and fell hard on the ground. That is when Piper forgot about her terror, getting up to jump after him. Without thinking, she put herself between the Indian about to strike and Leo, who reacted to this:  
  
"Piper, get away from him!"  
  
But the girl wouldn't budge. The Indian looked at her curiously then, as if her reaction puzzled him. He kept his arm up, but a weird little smile formed on his lips as he called to his companions.  
  
The others soon came and surrounded the coach; most of them seemingly amused by some joke that they were telling each other. Finally, the Indian who was threatening Piper and Leo simply lowered his arm and stood before them. His knife was still pointed at them however, as were many bows in the other ones' hands. Leo managed to get up and took Piper in his arms protectively. This seemed to cause even more amusement among the Indians. Phoebe and Paige had watched at first in horror, then almost with fascination what was happening. Finally the warriors came to them and pulled them out of the coach just as rudely, amused anew at what they probably considered a feeble attempt at resistance.  
  
Until now, they all had been so stunned that it had seemed like something happening to someone else. However, the bonds that were now being put on their wrists brought them back to the awful reality, along with the sight of the guards' bodies that a few more Indians were bringing back with them. It was soon obvious that they were all dead. Not a single shot had been fired. They had been caught totally unaware. Phoebe's heart sunk, as she had already grown fond of these men, who had been so friendly to them. Now these brutal murderers had killed them all. She also, of course, worried about their fate in the light of this terrible tragedy. She shuddered anew at the thought. Her cousins and Leo were obviously thinking the same thing, as they cast fearful looks toward their captors. However, these didn't seem in any hurry to kill them, as they were simply pillaging the baggage at the moment. Leo thought of trying something, but he soon realized that they were watched closely in spite of the appearances. He had tried to move only a little ways and one of the Indians had immediately come to him, shoving him back toward the girls.  
  
After a moment, Leo turned toward them with a contrite expression:  
  
"I'm so sorry. I never thought that anything like this would happen…"  
  
The girls were still too worried to answer. Piper and Paige were huddled together, visibly shaking. Phoebe, however, was beginning to calm down and the strange feeling of anticipation was coming back to her. She was very puzzled by the way she felt. By all account, she should have been just as terrorized as the others, yet she seemed to be awaiting something. However, that something didn't come…  
  
Seeing that they would not answer, Leo came closer to Piper and whispered:  
  
"I want to thank you for what you've done, even though I still think that you shouldn't have risked your life like this."  
  
Piper turned to him, her expression still very serious but softening perceptibly:  
  
"I couldn't let them hurt you. Besides, I'm afraid that our future is rather grim as we stand. What do you think that they'll do with us?"  
  
Her anxious question pained him because he couldn't bring himself to tell her what he truly thought would happen. Some of the most awful stories about the Indians, told of white women taken by them, and kept for some ungodly purpose, which he didn't even want to imagine.  
  
"Don't worry Piper, we'll find a way to escape," he answered instead, trying to sound confident.  
  
She saw through it, but pretended that she believed him and nodded weakly in agreement.  
  
The men on the coach were still looking at them mockingly and Phoebe would have given anything to understand what they were saying.  
  
These were actually having an animated talk about their prisoners:  
  
"What do you think of that? A man that hides behind a woman… Is he truly a man? Maybe we should look in his pants; we might find out that he's just a girl in disguise."  
  
The others laughed even louder at this.  
  
"What should we do with them? I have to admit that those girls are appetizing. But him?"  
  
"Let's bring him home, if only for the other braves to see what we were talking about. Then let the elders decide. Who knows, he might make a good servant?"  
  
Again, this provoked a burst of laughter, as they imagined him among the women performing some menial task.  
  
Cole had stayed in the tree where he had been throughout the attack. After their unfortunate encounter with the trappers, the men had thought it better to have someone watching their back. He had killed the first guard with a precise arrow and seen the others fall quickly and silently. Their ambush had worked perfectly, and now the braves were enjoying their victory. However, when he had seen her, he had refrained from joining in the celebration. He couldn't believe it. The shock had been such that he had almost lost balance. She was there, real as could be. At first, he even imagined that he had another waking dream, as this was so improbable. In the end, however, he realized that it was not a dream, she was there and what's more, she was their prisoner.  
  
He wanted only to go to her, touch her at last. Nevertheless, he feared that the reality of her presence might shatter his beautiful dream. Which is why, when one of the braves came to tell him that they were ready to go, he signaled to him that he would follow shortly.  
  
Soon after, he could observe the braves rounding the prisoners, and he saw her trying to resist them. This simple fact made him proud. She was at least as spirited as he had imagined she would be. However, the men were not about to be outdone by a woman, no matter how courageous or energetic. They were on their way shortly, although some of them threw curious looks toward his hiding place, as if wondering what got into their brother. When they were out of sight, he finally came down and followed at a distance…  
  
That night, the girls understood that their discomfort during the trip had been nothing compared to what they endured now. The Indians had built a make shift pen, or that was the only name they could give to it. There was barely enough space in it for them to lie down side by side.  
  
A guard was watching them at all time, making the most basic of needs a torture. But even through their terror, none of them could even imagine relieving themselves in this place. So after a long and arduous set of hand signals, Paige managed to make the guard understand what she wanted. Again, he seemed amused when he understood what she was asking, but he still opened the pen and pulled her out. She signaled about the others as well, but for the time being, he simply ignored it.  
  
They didn't go very far however, and the man gestured to her that it was there or nowhere else. Paige looked at him incredulously as the moonlight was so bright that she was certain everyone was observing her.  
  
Still, after a lengthy hesitation, she knew that he would not agree to leave the other prisoners out of his sight, and she tried to be as discreet as she could. Her face was red with embarrassment as they were returning toward the pen, but that is when he grabbed her arm and stopped her. She didn't dare look back, uncertain about his intentions. She felt his filthy hand caressing her hair, and she started unpleasantly. He tightened his hold on her arm, and with his other hand, he pushed her hair back exposing her neck. She could feel his breath against it, but was so scared that it paralyzed her. The others had been averting their eyes to give her some privacy, and only now did they realize what was happening. Leo was about to protest vehemently, when a loud voice came from the darkness. The language was unknown, but the effect immediate. The Indian took a step back and pushed Paige toward the pen.  
  
Phoebe had lifted her head suddenly at the voice. As odd as it seemed, the voice had sounded familiar. Paige entered the pen and threw herself in her sister's arms, now crying uncontrollably. Piper held her tight, trembling of fear and rage, herself. Only now did she really take the measure of what they were faced with.  
  
The guard was shortly replaced by a new one, which, apparently instructed about their need, came to take them one by one. No other unpleasant incident occurred that night. However, they didn't really sleep much either… Phoebe wondered about the man who had prevented Paige from being molested. Who was he?  
  
As soon as she had heard the voice, she had searched the darkness, but all she could see was a tall man, his back turned to them and quickly moving away. For a long time, as Paige was slowly calming down, she had been thinking about this. Finally, she concluded that he might just have been one who wanted to put a claim on Paige or them. Maybe those Indians also had some sort of hierarchy. The thought didn't reassure her in the least. That was when she returned her attention to her companions. Paige had fallen into an agitated sleep, but when she saw Piper and Leo huddling to each other, she became truly irate. How could she be doing this to her? She knew that their situation being what it was, she probably shouldn't have reacted in this manner, but she couldn't help it.  
  
"What on earth are you two doing?"  
  
Piper was startled by her cousin's comment.  
  
"Phoebe I…"  
  
Phoebe ignored her:  
  
"Leo!' She exclaimed. "I thought that you were a trustworthy man. How could you betray me at the first chance you get?"  
  
"Phoebe, I'm simply comforting your cousin. You have to believe this."  
  
"What do you take me for," Phoebe exploded again, waking up Paige in the process, "I saw the way you've been looking at each other. Until now, I tried to ignore it, but this is too much. We are in the direst of situation and you two…"  
  
She couldn't finish the sentence. Deep down, she knew that this was petty and stupid, but maybe it was her only way of dealing with the terrible circumstances. Anger kept the fear at bay.  
  
Piper tried to intervene:  
  
"I assure you Phoebe, nothing happened. You should not get angry with Leo, who has been nothing but wonderful with all of us."  
  
Phoebe continued with the same unconcealed anger:  
  
"Of course you would say that, you're all over him…"  
  
Piper looked at her cousin in total disbelief. Of course, there was some guilt mixed in, as she truly had been happy to be in his arms. Yet, her cousin's reaction seemed so inappropriate.  
  
"Phoebe, you're being unreasonable…" Leo tried again.  
  
"Unreasonable? Who could be reasonable in our present situation? We are the prisoners of savages; we have no idea what they will do to us. And if that wasn't enough, you and my cousin have lost no time forgetting altogether about me. Was I ever anything to you?"  
  
Leo couldn't answer, even if he truly wanted to, but there was nothing that came to him. He had been interested, yes. But he couldn't deny that Piper was on his mind all the time, even now. Not only that, but what had happened to Paige had made him realize that if Piper was touched in such a manner by another man, he would want to kill him. In short, he knew that he had fallen in love. He was no longer confused about it. His only problem now, was that this couldn't come between them and their freedom. He didn't want them to be divided at this point. They needed each other if they wanted to survive.  
  
Therefore, he reluctantly let go of Piper, and turned resolutely toward Phoebe:  
  
"If you believe anything Phoebe, believe this. I am your friend and will be forever. I won't do anything that might hurt you. I respect you too much for this."  
  
Phoebe seemed to visibly deflate and she continued in a more reasonable tone of voice:  
  
"I… I'm sorry; I guess that all of this is driving me crazy. Of course I believe in your friendship. I…I'm just sorry, alright?" She added, as she looked away.  
  
Leo came closer and patted her hand softly. She was grateful for his encouragement, even though she secretly still felt left out. Phoebe was also ashamed at her own selfishness, now that the anger had receded. Calming down, she promised herself to make it up to Piper eventually.  
  
Paige cast uncertain looks toward the people that shared her prison, but decided to avoid intruding on this discussion. Instead, she chose to try sleeping again. This, in spite of the nightmares that had already peopled her short nap…  
  
Piper understood what Leo had meant to do without the need for an explanation. She liked him even more for it. If they ever got out of this predicament, they would have the chance to settle this matter. Now wasn't the time, she knew it.  
  
Cole had been listening in on them, appalled at what he understood of their conversation. How could she be interested in this coward? A man, if one could call him that, whom hid behind a woman to save his own life.  
  
He was angry and also recognized that he was jealous. He should have been the one for her, not that pale imitation of a man; one that apparently entertained another woman as well, and this angered him even more. Many times that night, he was tempted to go to her. He had imagined all the ways that he would teach her what a real man felt like. Yet, he knew deep down that she couldn't be taken. He wanted her so much that it hurt him, but he wouldn't force himself onto her. No more than he would allow the warriors to do this to the other women…  
  
Contrary to the white man's assumptions, women were not molested by their tribe. Most who had stayed with the Kituhwa nation had done so willingly. They had either found themselves alone and afraid to leave, or simply had fancied one or another of the braves. His tribe had never taken one prisoner however. This was a first. He knew that the men were curious about them, and as soon as he was certain that the prisoners couldn't see him, he came to talk about it with the others.  
  
The men protested against his instructions, but in the end, they had agreed with him, giving the shaman in training the respect they knew was his due. Cobena, one of the youngest among them, and the one who had tried to seduce Paige, still questioned:  
  
"Why do you stay behind, Jolon? This looks weird to us."  
  
Jolon faced him:  
  
"I have my reasons, and I don't need to explain them to you. Just trust in my judgment. Who knows? Maybe the young girl is going to come to you of her own will? Let's not be as savage as the white man thinks us to be."  
  
He then left them without another word, ignoring their puzzled expressions.  
  
The night seemed interminable. Phoebe woke up many times from an agitated sleep. More than once, she thought that she had felt someone observing her but dismissed it as she realized that indeed, they most certainly were watching all of them. What really bothered her however, were the dreams. Considering where they were, she should have been having nightmares, yet, she was instead having the most arousing of dreams. Every time she woke up, she felt pearls of sweat on her forehead, and it had nothing to do with the ambient temperature, which was actually very low. Right now, she was the only one of their group awake, and she was grateful for this, as she was certain that they would have noticed her face all flushed, even in the dark… "How could she be so aroused by one of those savages, even in a dream," she thought with shame. Yet even the memory of his hands caressing her was enough to quicken her breath. In the end, she gave up on sleep altogether, refusing to give in to her weakness any longer.  
  
The Indians forced them to travel over tortuous trails, barely visible. They fed them insipid meat, that they found difficult to chew on as it was as tough as leather. Throughout this, they had them on foot, and took care of the horses better than they. At night the temperature dropped drastically, and they thought that if the Indians didn't kill them, consumption would, most certainly.  
  
On the third night of their captivity, one of the warriors had brought blankets to them. Although these were filthy and not at all what they were used to, they were still grateful for a little warmth. They didn't know who or what they owed this to, but they accepted it without questioning. By then they were mostly resigned to their fate. It was obvious that no one was coming to their rescue, at least in the immediate future. Leo had tried to encourage the girls however, as he was convinced that his failing to arrive at destination would soon raise red flags. He had even thought of leaving a trail behind. Using the now useless money that the Indians had not seen fit to take away from him, he threw them beside the trail at almost regular intervals.  
  
What he didn't know, was that Cole had noticed the banknote and removed most of them, as he still followed at a distance.  
  
"How could she love such an idiot." He had then reflected with undisguised anger.  
  
For the umpteenth time, he told himself that he should simply get rid of this rival. But every time, he also reminded himself that this would be the coward way… Besides, he had no doubts that once the time had come for them to meet, she would forget all about the weak man. He had already decided to wait until he had a talk with his mentor before going to her. That didn't help him resisting his many impulses on the long nights of the trip, and only the meditative prayers that the Shaman had taught him kept him away from her. That is, until the last night…  
  
Piper and Phoebe had barely said a word to each other for the last three days, and that didn't help in the least to alleviate their ordeal. Even if Phoebe felt petty because of it, she still couldn't bring herself to forgive Piper. More than once, she had showed an inordinate affection toward Leo, much more to annoy her cousin than because she felt like it.  
  
"Maybe," she thought to herself as the braves were preparing to camp once more, "I'm also doing this to prove something to myself?"  
  
The last three nights had been again agitated by dreams that she would never have repeated to anyone. She felt utterly ashamed and needed to reassure herself that she wasn't betraying her own by this.  
  
Their discomfort seemed to have no end. The four of them were now filthy. The Indians had not thought once to offer them a chance to clean up, and now they were feeling horribly self-conscious about it. The worse of their fear was now behind them, at least for the moment, and Phoebe decided that she couldn't stand her state of being any longer. Cold or not, they needed to clean up and if possible, change clothes with those that the Indian had brought along in one of the trunks. That is why when the guard tried to push them inside the pen she stubbornly refused to move and turned to him with an almost defiant expression.  
  
"I'm not going in there," Phoebe told him, even though she knew that he couldn't understand a word she said. "We need to clean up and to change in something warmer," she continued, encouraged because the brave just looked at her in puzzlement without trying to molest her. She held her skirt up to him, trying to make him understand about the dirt. The brave didn't seem to get her meaning still, so she made a daring move toward the waterhole. At first, he seemed about to catch her and pull her back, but then he apparently changed his mind and followed her instead. She went to the water and splashed some of it on herself.  
  
The Indian obviously understood then, because he smiled widely showing the water and rubbing himself at the same time. Phoebe emphatically nodded in the affirmative. However, he simply stood there, as if he expected her to undress in front of him. She stood tall and faced him with all the courage that she could muster, indicating him to go further away. He said something that she couldn't understand, but his expression told her that he disagreed with her. She then insisted, emboldened by the fact that she had no intention of giving a spectacle to this savage. After a few minutes of this, the brave had to conclude that she wasn't going to be reasonable about it, and he took a few steps back, turning toward the others with a bow at the ready. Phoebe understood what it meant, but at least she was grateful for a modicum of privacy. The trunks that she had spotted were on the closest horse, and she moved toward them, pulling a garment that she used for riding. Then, reassured that the Indian was still looking away, she went behind a boulder, undressed rapidly and entered the water with an exclamation of surprise at the coldness of it.  
  
No matter, it still felt good to be able to wash after these three days of forced march. She was so delighted at the improvised bath that for a moment she almost forgot about their predicament.  
  
Cole had come closer to the camp that night. He knew that soon they would be home, and his impatience began to weigh heavily on him. This time, the meditations had not worked and he felt the need to at least look at her. From his point of view, he could see the pen without being seen, but became anxious when he couldn't find her with the others. Throwing caution to the wind, he was about to ask the guard about her, when as he approached, he noticed female clothing on a boulder nearby.  
  
He went silently toward it, hiding behind a thick bush and caught his breath when he saw her. She seemed so much more relaxed than he had seen her in the last few days. Her eyes were closed and she looked to him like the angels that the missionary had described a long time ago. Through the clear water, he could see her breast full and firm. Her skin wasn't as white as he had thought. It was rather in between Noayak's brown skin and the pale one that he had expected. To him, she looked like perfection. He observed her for a long moment, unmoving, and then, without thinking, he took a step forward. He had been so distracted by what he was witnessing that he walked on a branch, provoking a loud cracking noise. This caught her attention and she put her hands up to her chest, looking in the direction of the bush fearfully. He had thrown himself back behind it rapidly, his heart racing.  
  
Phoebe looked intensely toward the woods. At first, she thought that the guard was coming for her, but then she thought of all the wild animals, which lived in those mountains. What if one of them was observing her, ready to pounce, she thought fearfully. The peace that she had felt until then left her and she hurried out of the water, picking up her clothes and dressing up in a hurry.  
  
While doing this, she cast many anxious looks toward the forest. She could see nor hear nothing anymore however, but she still hurried back toward the others. She told them that the guard was willing to let them take a bath, but warned them to be careful once there. Piper and Paige went out of the pen nervously, under the disapproving look of the guard, but he didn't do anything to stop them. Instead, he demonstrated in the same manner as he had for Phoebe, that if they tried to escape, their companions would pay the price. They understood without the need for any words and went on their way.  
  
"You look much better," Leo told Phoebe with a smile.  
  
"I do feel better."  
  
"It was very brave of you…"  
  
Phoebe couldn't help smiling:  
  
"Not brave… reckless maybe? At any rate, I couldn't stand it anymore."  
  
He took her hand gently and she felt warmer inside.  
  
"You have to know that I respect you immensely. Very few women would have the courage that you demonstrated in the face of such adversity."  
  
Phoebe almost blushed at the compliment. In that instant, she was attracted to him more than she ever was before. Or maybe, it was just that she needed to feel his friendship and respect, as she was tired to be simply an object that those men were taking god knew where. There was no way for them to know how much longer this trek would last, and this little moment of freedom had been like a miracle.  
  
Cole had come back toward the pen and he was now observing them with a mix of lust for her and anger toward this man who, in spite of being their prisoner, could touch her and be closed to her, when he didn't even dare doing it. She smiled at the man the way he dreamt that she would for him and he felt it like a knife through his heart. Against his better judgment, he stayed there watching them long after the other girls had come back from their ablutions, and even after Leo had been gone and back. When they finally fell asleep, he couldn't help moving closer.  
  
She was agitated, moaning in her sleep, and he wondered what she might be dreaming about. Unable to resist any longer, he signaled to the guard silently that he would stay. This one looked at him curiously, surprised that he finally was coming close to the prisoners. Yet, he left him and went to get some rest.  
  
Cole still watched her for a long moment. Then she seemed to breathe faster, her breast rising invitingly. She moaned again and he almost stepped back, but his legs didn't obey. He could only look at her, feeling the desire mounting in him irrepressibly. In the end, he couldn't stop himself, and he silently opened the pen, bending toward her, breathing deeply in her scent. He dared brush her lips and she moaned again. Almost immediately, her lips parted, inviting him to probe further and his kiss became more passionate as she responded in her sleep.  
  
The man was back, he was coming to her, kissing her, caressing her in only the manner of the most intimate lover. His mouth was soft and wanting at the same time on hers, and she only wanted to prolong this moment as much as she could. In her semi conscious state, she thought that this felt even more real than usual, but she didn't want to wake up, not just yet. Her hand came to rest on his chest and he shuddered at her touch. Suddenly, she became frightened by the realism of the dream and she pushed her imaginary lover away abruptly. He felt her pushing him away, and frustration almost got the best of him. He wanted her so much, and yet she now seemed almost afraid. He reluctantly let go of her lips and pulling away just as she was waking up. He then ran out of the pen, barely remembering to close the fence before going toward the trees.  
  
Phoebe woke up with a start, certain that she had seen a shadow entering the bush just now. She lied immobile for a while, feeling her blood racing through her veins. Her lips seemed on fire and she wondered about this as well. Even the most intense of her dreams had never felt like this one, and for a long time she wondered if one of the Indians had not tried to take advantage of her. Unable to go back to sleep, she looked around the pen and was surprised to find no one there.  
  
The other nights, there always had been a guard watching them…  
  
She probed further in the semi-darkness, barely believing that they were alone. Finally she moved toward Leo, and shook him awake. As she had done, he looked around carefully but came to the same conclusion. The pen had never been meant as a prison per say, just a way to keep them in one place. He cautiously opened the fence and went toward the horses, which were simply grazing on the grass with no one in sight to watch them either.  
  
Amazed at this stroke of luck, he took the horses by the reins and brought them back toward the pen. Phoebe had already risen Piper and Paige, but those two were still fearful of retaliations by the Indians, and they took some convincing before they agreed to go. Finally, Phoebe turned to Paige and reminded her of what she had almost endured a few days earlier. This sufficed to convince her, and in turn Piper.  
  
They then walked the horses away from the camp as silently as they could and entered the forest…  
  
Cole had run for a while, trying to calm down. He felt stupid at his own actions. How could he have imagined even for an instant, let alone these three days, that he would ever have a chance with her? He was certain that she had awakened, and seeing him there had pushed him away, as he should have expected her to react. "She probably was dreaming of the white man," he thought with rage in his heart.  
  
He stopped and leaned heavily on a large tree, trying to catch his breath.  
  
For a long time, he simply stood there, uncertain if he would ever dare face her again. He was angry and heartbroken at the same time. In the end, he made up his mind that he would try to forget about the girl. Noayak was waiting for him at the village; "I don't need her," he thought, trying to convince himself, but only with mitigated success.  
  
Only the call of an owl, which he recognized for an alert by one of his brothers, pulled him out of his somber thoughts. Something had happened at the camp, so he reluctantly headed back.  
  
The braves found the pen empty, and if that was a disappointment for them, they might not have gone after the fugitives. However, the fact that they had taken the horses along was a whole another matter. They didn't know how much distance they had on them, but the last one who had seen them said that he had left his post hours earlier… They started after the girls and Leo immediately, not waiting for Cole to join them… 


	3. The Wild (Chapter 3)

The Wild  
  
Chapter III  
  
  
  
Cole arrived at the camp to find it empty. He understood right away that something was very wrong. He moved cautiously toward the pen and finally realized what had happened. It was all his fault. By leaving them alone, he had allowed them to escape. However, even as he was berating himself for his carelessness, he also believed that they had very little experience of the mountains, and even at this, it was only what they had seen in the last few days. He was convinced that the white man, thinking himself very clever, intended to follow the money trail, and he welcomed him to it.  
  
Rather than going after the braves, he directed his paces in the opposite direction. He had done more than just spending his nights in meditation during the trip. On one night that he had been particularly bothered, he had thought of the possibility of people coming after them, or that indeed they might try to use this to escape. At the time, he had set up a false trail that would lead them nowhere, but under the circumstances, he figured that he would use what was left of the money to lead them directly to the village. It would take them at least a day to get where he had placed the last banknote, maybe more since they were so inexperienced. By then, he would have finished preparing the trap, and if the braves didn't catch up with them, they would soon be back in their grasp, anyway…  
  
As he walked away from the camp, he began to despise her, as much as he had wanted her before. His anger had grown since the incident, and now, he figured that when they caught up with them, contrary to his previous intentions, he would make her work in the village like the others. They would be no more than the slaves that white men used themselves. Not only had she rejected him, but now she was also causing trouble. His desire for her had been replaced by a deep rage, rooted in his impression that she would reject him only because he was Indian. It didn't matter at the moment that it wasn't entirely true. He didn't want to be a part of her world, had not wanted it for a very long time.  
  
At first, they had followed the trail that they had come from, but it became increasingly harder for them to be certain of the way to go. Leo was relieved when he found the first of his banknote lying there, as he had left it. They had hoped to be able to ride the horses, but they could only do so part of the way, and the trip was just as painstaking as it had been in reverse. Still, they were stimulated by their taste of freedom and not about to stop; at least not until they had put a safe distance between them and the Indians. At some point, Leo wondered why the trail seemed unfamiliar to him. However, given the fact that he had very little knowledge of these parts, he concluded that he must have been mistaken. They went on for twelve hours straight, only stopping to pick a few berries on the way, and also to drink out of a stream, which at least seemed to have clean water. The fear pushed them always further…  
  
That night, they were very surprised and grateful that the Indians had not found them. They stopped out of exhaustion mainly. It was also for the fact that the night was very dark and that they were afraid of getting lost. Leo offered to watch out for them and that they should try to sleep. At first, none of girls thought that they would, but the fatigue and the emotions got the better of them.  
  
It was still very dark when Piper awoke, and at first she was a little disoriented. It was cold in spite of the blanket. She let her eyes get used to the darkness and she spotted Leo. His head had dropped to his chest. She should have been worried that he wasn't watching anymore, but she just felt a surge of tenderness at seeing him like this. She got up, careful not to wake the other two, and then she went to him. Right away she could see that he was shivering, even in his sleep. She wrapped the blanket that she was still carrying around his shoulders, and the urge to kiss him came to her. This time, she didn't feel like resisting, but not wanting to wake him either, she just brushed her lips on his cheeks, lingering much longer than any proper lady would have, she thought with a little thrill. He moved in his sleep, and she stepped back, but when he didn't wake up, she came to sit on the trunk by his side. He looked so sweet in his sleep. She had no doubts that, if she had not already been in love with him, she would have fallen for him right then and there. She put her head against his arm and just enjoyed this rare moment of peace. She had stayed like this only a few minutes when she felt his arm coming around her. She looked up and saw that he had been observing her in silence. He smiled sweetly and her heart jumped. It had been a few days since she had seen this smile.  
  
Without a word, he bent toward her, almost timidly. When his face was only a few inches from hers, he stopped, as if unsure of what he should do. Piper took the decision for him as she moved quickly toward him, opening her lips to his kiss. At first, it was only a sweet kiss. However, very soon, they both forgot about the girls beside them, or anything else for that matter, as the kiss became more passionate. She put her hands behind his head, pulling him to her. He began caressing her hair, then her neck, going down her back slowly. She arched her body toward him and his lips left hers to kiss her face over. She couldn't help the little moan of pleasure when he moved down to her neck. Then he pulled away suddenly and she felt lost.  
  
She was still holding his neck and she tried to pull him back, unwilling to end this. However he resisted, putting his hands on her face and holding her back delicately. She opened her eyes and saw that he was not resisting for lack of wanting her. It was written all over his face that he did. Yet, he pulled even further away:  
  
"Piper, we can't do this, it's not right."  
  
This was like a cold shower for her, as she replied almost angrily:  
  
"You mean because of Phoebe?"  
  
Leo sighed:  
  
"No, not that."  
  
Piper insisted:  
  
"Don't you love me, not even a little?"  
  
Her voice was almost pleading now.  
  
"Oh Piper, of course I do, I love you with all my heart."  
  
"And I love you too, so there shouldn't be any obstacle. Phoebe will understand…"  
  
He had to take a few deep breaths at this. He so much wanted to take what she offered, but she was too precious to be just taken like any girl.  
  
"It's simply that if we make love, I want it to be beautiful and when the time is right."  
  
"What if we don't survive this?" Piper said then. "I don't want to wait any longer. I've never been surer of anything," she added, again going to him and kissing him hungrily, as she was caressing his chest.  
  
She couldn't believe how bold she felt. All she wanted at this moment was to feel his arms around her, his lips on hers. She wanted to feel his love, not just know it.  
  
Leo moved slightly away again, while keeping his lips near hers but not touching them.  
  
"Are you certain?" He asked in a trembling voice that she knew was full of desire now.  
  
"Yes," Piper whispered softly.  
  
Then, he didn't hesitate anymore, as she pulled his hand toward her chest, inviting him to touch her and to make her feel like a woman for the first time in her life. He only stopped long enough to lift her in his arms and carry her a little ways from the others. Then they fell to the ground together still kissing passionately, oblivious to the cold and the danger. His heart was beating wildly against her chest and it just aroused her more. His hands were already undoing her blouse, soon exposing her small but firm breast. His mouth left hers and descended slowly toward them, where he stopped and lifted his head, admiring their perfect shape. This alone was almost as exciting for her as if he had already touched her, but when he did take her nipple delicately in his mouth and traced lazy circle with his tongue around them, she thought right then that she would die of pleasure. She arched her hips toward him, already inviting him in. She had always thought that she would be scared to be with a man, but at this moment, there was nothing that she wanted more than to be his.  
  
He let go of her only long enough to undress and she couldn't help looking at him, his muscular chest and his firm stomach. She gasped, as she looked further down, blushing at her own audacity.  
  
He soon came back down on her, kissing her belly, as he was unfastening her skirt and soon dispatched her undergarment. She felt on fire throughout her body, certain that only his touch could appease her. She pulled him to her, already opening her legs for him. For just an instant, he hesitated some more, as if he thought that even now, she might want to rethink this. She wasn't about to… She pulled his face to hers as she arched her hips toward him even more and he entered her, at first slowly as she screamed a little, feeling some pain. However, he was patient, and waited until she was ready. It didn't take long for the desire to flow back inside her and she put her hands on his back, inviting him to enter further. Before long, she felt the first wave of pleasure exploding from her loins and only his mouth on hers kept her from awakening her cousin and sister with the scream of surprise that she uttered then.  
  
For a long moment, he stayed in her, even after he was spent, just enjoying the warmth of her. He was caressing her hair, her face, barely believing that they truly had made love in this wilderness, and it had never felt better. He pulled their clothes around them in lieu of blanket, and they stayed in each other's arms in silence for a long moment. At last, he whispered in her neck:  
  
"No matter what happens next, I want you to know that I will love you forever. You are the love of my life, I know this."  
  
Piper only now remembered all the reasons why this shouldn't have happened, but she pushed them away resolutely, as she didn't want anything to spoil this perfect moment.  
  
"I'll be yours for as long as you want me…"  
  
She felt him smile in her neck:  
  
"Then, you'll never leave me because I will never stop wanting you."  
  
She didn't answer, only wanting to believe this with all that she was.  
  
The Indians had been very puzzled when, not long after leaving the camp, they found many spots where the fugitive had seemed to leave the trail and then come back to it. In the end they concluded that they had tried to confuse their pursuers by starting other trails along the way. So, rather than follow the tracks, they went down the usual trail, determined to wait for them at the foot of the mountain. This had been the only reason why the girls and Leo had not been recaptured. The many detours had in fact been Leo looking for his banknote, so that when they actually began following the trail that Cole had prepared, it only looked like one more detour to the braves.  
  
For the first time in four days, Phoebe woke up from a dreamless sleep just before dawn, and was surprised that it disappointed her. She turned at the sound of horses neighing. There she saw Piper and Leo, already awake and apparently in deep conversation. Although nothing seemed amiss, she sensed that there was something different about them. Nevertheless, at the moment, she was too tired and nervous to probe further into this. She got up to find that Paige was awake as well, and without a word, they all started down the trail again, or what passed for a trail. Leo had been wondering for a while already about the differences between their first trip and this one. Of course, he had to admit that the climb had been hard, and that they might not have been paying enough attention to their surroundings. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were somehow going in circle. Yet, he was finding the banknote along the way just as he thought that he had left them and they continued on, convinced that short of this, they would never find their way back. Later that afternoon, he finally thought that they had made progress when they started a steep descent. "Who knows," Leo thought, "maybe we are closer to civilization than I thought."  
  
The only problem was that now they couldn't ride anymore, as they had been able to since the morning. At least, it had been a more pleasant going for a while and they were all grateful for that.  
  
The descent was much more difficult for the horses and it slowed them down considerably. It was almost nightfall when they found themselves on a plateau. The sight should have been a reassuring one, but it puzzled Leo even more. He knew that they could have made a better time on the way down, but he still thought that they should not have reached the bottom so quickly. However, he didn't want to alarm the girls and suggested that they took some rest.  
  
That night, he decided to take the risk and make a small fire under the cover of a large boulder that they found at the edge of the plain. Phoebe stayed close to Leo that night, as she was looking for some comfort, but she noticed her cousin staring at her this time, and wondered anew about them. Again, she was too tired to worry about it however, and they soon decided to get some sleep, as they knew that they would have a long way to go in the morning before they found civilization, or at least someone to help them, they hoped. They had barely fallen asleep before a faint sound alerted Leo. He worried that they had chosen some animal's home for their little camp, and stirred the fire to revive it. However, as he was doing this, he was turning his back to the intruder and never had a chance to react before a blunt weapon hit him on the head, knocking him unconscious.  
  
Cole looked at the girls, who were still unaware of his presence, with a little smile of triumph. It didn't hurt that hitting Leo had been somewhat satisfying. He had even had time to go back to the village and assemble a few more men to help him bring back the prisoners, just in case. This time, he would not be hiding. The braves were coming behind him and he still had to shake a malaise as he watched at her. He knew that he was angry with her, and yet, the longing remained strong inside him. This irritated him greatly. Seeing his expression, the men hesitated at length. Cole finally saw their hesitation and he ordered them to pick up the still unconscious Leo and then to wake up the girls. These screamed of fright and surprise at seeing the Indians again. They had so hoped that they were out of their grasps, that this caused them even more despair than their first capture. Piper, in particular was looking around anxiously, searching for a trace of Leo. Suddenly angrier than scared, she asked:  
  
"Where did you bring him? What did you do with Leo?"  
  
She was not exactly expecting an answer, as they had already established that none of them spoke English, yet she had to try.  
  
This is why she jumped at Cole's voice:  
  
"If you're talking about the white man," he said with a hint of disdain, "we already took care of him," he added cryptically, unwilling to reassure them.  
  
He was still standing in the shadows, but the voice was unmistakable, and Phoebe recognized it immediately for the man who had intervened to help Paige a few days earlier. She strained to get a better look at this man, who had never showed his face to them. Let alone told them that he understood their language…  
  
He took a few steps toward them, and when Phoebe finally saw him, she opened wide and unbelieving eyes. "How could this be," she said aloud, believing that she had just been thinking it.  
  
He was standing there, just like in her dreams. Although now, he was wearing the skin clothing that was common among the Indians. A fact which had become obvious to her during their few days of captivity. Be that as it may, she couldn't mistake him, as she had seen him so many times in her dreams. Neither could she mistake the piercing blue eyes that seemed so out of place on an Indian's features. For a fleeting moment, these seemed to soften as he stared back at her. However, they quickly turned cold and she felt that she had lost something, without knowing how or why. No matter what she had thought of those savages, his obvious anger hurt her.  
  
"Enough of this," Cole said curtly, "we still have a way to go."  
  
He signaled to the men that it was time to leave, and they rudely grabbed the girls, pulling them out of the shelter and into the open.  
  
Piper immediately saw that Leo had been thrown across one of the horses' back and she tried to get to him with a scream of fright.  
  
The man who was holding her had to finally hit her across the face to stop her. Her head snap from the hit and it quieted her momentarily. However, she couldn't stop worrying about Leo, and as soon as she had regained her balance, she tried to escape the brave again.  
  
Cole saw that he should intervene then.  
  
"He is not dead, stop whining."  
  
Piper turned to him with fire in her eyes:  
  
"What did you do to him?"  
  
He just stared at her coldly and turned away without another word.  
  
Piper still wanted to protest, but somehow, she knew that it might be dangerous and wouldn't help Leo at any rate. Therefore, she chose to hope that he would recover shortly, as she finally let the man lead her away…  
  
While the Indian who had taken a hold of Piper didn't let go of her, just in case, the others were simply urging Phoebe and Paige ahead. Phoebe couldn't take her eyes off the leader, still incredulous about his being real. "How can this be," she thought again, this time for herself. "How can a dream come true?" However, she had to admit that this wasn't anywhere near the dreams she recalled. It was rather a nightmare. She should simply have been angry and hateful toward this man who lived with murderers, but all she could do was wishing that he would look at her once more with the loving eyes that she remembered.  
  
Paige interrupted her musings by whispering:  
  
"What is it Phoebe? Do you know that man?"  
  
Phoebe understood that she had been too obvious, and she turned slightly toward her:  
  
"No, not at all," she half lied. How could she tell her that she believed she had known him for weeks? At least in her imagination…  
  
"Then why did you look so surprised when you saw him?" Paige insisted.  
  
"I don't know, maybe it was those eyes…"  
  
Paige glanced at Phoebe in puzzlement:  
  
"What about them?"  
  
"He has blue eyes, unlike all the others…"  
  
"I had not noticed…"  
  
As they were talking, they had slowed down, and the Indians behind them said something in the language that they couldn't understand. However, when they felt their hands on their back pushing them rudely, they didn't need to.  
  
"Let's talk about this later…" Phoebe whispered nervously.  
  
Paige nodded weakly and then they walked faster, afraid to anger their captors further.  
  
Cole had to struggle with himself not to look back. He was puzzled by the girl's reaction. She had not seemed to recognize him from the night before, but rather to be surprised at his presence there, as if he was totally unexpected to her. Still, he was sure that he had not been mistaken about her rejection. And no matter how much he wanted to believe that she might not hate him, he refused to entertain such a foolish hope. The pain had been great when he had figured out how stupid he had been. He didn't want to go through this again.  
  
It only took them a few hours to arrive at the village, but to him, it had been torture. Then, he saw Noayak coming toward him with her beautiful smile, and decided again to forget about the white girl.  
  
She threw her arms around his neck and questioned with a little pout:  
  
"Why didn't you come to me last night, Jolon? They say that you were here…"  
  
"I had something else to take care of… but now, I'm all yours," he added with a smile.  
  
She lifted herself toward him and kissed him possessively. He felt good in her arms, but his mind again played tricks on him, as he believed for a moment that Phoebe was there, not Noayak.  
  
The Indian girl sensed his sudden reticence and pulled away from him, a puzzled look now on her face.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Before he could answer, she noticed the new arrivals, and taking in the girls, she frowned.  
  
"Who are these?"  
  
Cole turned the way she indicated:  
  
"They are our prisoners… 


	4. The Wild (Chapter 4)

The Wild  
  
Chapter IV  
  
  
  
When Cole turned to follow Noayak's gaze, he saw that Phoebe was still observing him curiously, and it almost embarrassed him. "What is she thinking? She probably sees only the savage in me," he continued for himself. Cole shrugged angrily at the thought. "If that is what she thinks, then that is what she'll get…" The pain that he felt inside, he hid from everyone else, even from himself.  
  
The girls and Leo were tired and scared, but that didn't keep them from observing their surrounding curiously. Even if in the night, the light coming from a few fires was more than enough for them to get a good look. The habitants of the village had obviously seen them coming from a ways, because many were up in spite of the late hour. The settlement was composed of many tents built around what they figured could have been a public place. One of the tents was noticeably larger than the rest, and at the moment they weren't certain whether it was some place of worship, or rather the chief's habitation.  
  
However, Phoebe, unlike her cousins and Leo, had eyes only for the man that brought them there. She still couldn't believe that he was real. She felt a mix of awe at this improbable coincidence, and embarrassment at the thought of all she had been to him, albeit in dreams. Then a thought struck her. The night before, when they had escaped, it had been following this strange dream of hers. And she couldn't help thinking that she had been right about a man having been kissing her then. "What if it was him," she thought? This idea disturbed her, but at the same time, she couldn't help feeling a little excitement as well. "Why then," she questioned herself, "is he so angry? It can't be just because we tried to escape…"  
  
But of course, she realized that she might have been wrong about all this. Even more so, when she saw the girl kissing him as only a wife would in her world. The pang of jealousy that she felt then was all too real and she tried her best to keep it from showing. Two older men were now approaching him and the girl. The one ahead had much more adornments than the Indians they had met so far, telling her that he must have been an important person among them…  
  
Nasomsee, the chief of the tribe, was coming toward them and he seemed just as annoyed as Noayak at the sight of the prisoners.  
  
The Shaman was accompanying him, staying a few steps behind.  
  
Nasomsee came straight at Cole, keeping his eyes on the prisoners all the while.  
  
"Who are those?"  
  
"We thought better to capture them rather than killing them. There had been enough killing…"  
  
The Chief uttered severely:  
  
"We have barely enough to feed ourselves as it is, so why bring those to us? You should've left them behind."  
  
"They'll work for their keep, I assure you."  
  
Nasomsee wasn't convinced:  
  
"We'll have to watch them. We don't have enough men to do this…"  
  
"It won't matter," Cole assured him, "winter is coming already… In a few days, the mountain will be covered with snow and impracticable. If they try to escape, they'll die from the cold, or get lost in the wilderness. They won't have a choice but to stay here. Moreover, I really don't think that they are any danger to us. "  
  
Nasomsee shrugged:  
  
"They'll be your responsibility, Jolon. And they better work as you said."  
  
Cole simply nodded, feeling a little pressure at this. After all, even if he had wanted them to be there, he was not really the one who had made the decision. However, he was not going to put this on the other men's back. He was their future spiritual leader, and he understood that it was his burden to take this responsibility.  
  
The shaman was now observing him curiously as well, but Cole ignored it. Instead, he went to the prisoners by himself, careful to avoid Phoebe' stare.  
  
"You better listen good, because I won't repeat it." He told them.  
  
"You're alive only because we chose you to be. You've already caused enough trouble, so beware not to try again. You'll work for your keep. Work hard… If you're thinking about escaping, think again. People like you wouldn't survive more than a few days in the wilds, particularly with the winter coming. If you do it anyway, no one will help you. Do not expect your people to come to your rescue either. We've made sure that no one could follow your tracks. You won't get any help but from yourselves. Behave and you'll live, don't…"  
  
He never finished the sentence, but they didn't need him to.  
  
Paige still dared asking for all of them:  
  
"Why didn't you just let us go? Why did you have to bring us here?"  
  
He didn't look at her at first, and she suddenly worried about her temerity.  
  
Then, he turned to her with a wooden expression:  
  
"You would have preferred if we'd killed you?"  
  
His voice was so cold that Paige took a step back, slightly panicked, as she sensed that he could have made good on the threat right then and there.  
  
When he was satisfied that they wouldn't argue anymore, he pursued:  
  
"You will be fed and clothed. Just don't make me regret this."  
  
He then turned around and left without another word.  
  
Two of the braves hurried them along then, directing them toward a tent that seemed too small for all of them. However, by now they were used to close quarters, and it was still better than the pen. All the while, Phoebe couldn't help looking back toward him, only to see him rejoin with the Indian woman. For a savage she was pretty, Phoebe had to admit with a sinking feeling, even as she entered the tent behind the others.  
  
Noayak was still very puzzled by his attitude. She knew him for a tolerant and sweet man. As he came near her, he thought that he could see the reproaches in her eyes, and it didn't help his mood in the least.  
  
"What is it Jolon? You're acting so strangely…"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," he answered more harshly than he had intended. Seeing the hurt in her expression, he tried to smile:  
  
"I'm sorry. I guess that those people got to me somehow."  
  
She looked at him in a somewhat probing manner, as if she was trying to read his soul, then she smiled as well.  
  
"Come, I'll make you forget all about the white ones…"  
  
She took his hand, and he followed her with the hope that he indeed could forget in her arms. Still, as soon as she had her back to him, he gave one last look toward the tent, and knew that it wouldn't be so easy…  
  
As promised, they received clothing from the women of the village, while these amused themselves with their garments. It was obvious, however that they were getting the leftovers from them, as the clothing was old and riddled with holes. At first, the girls refused to use them. Eventually though, they realized that the work was too hard and made more difficult by their usual attires. The food was rudimentary, but they didn't go hungry. What was surprisingly difficult for all of them however, was the way people almost ignored them otherwise.  
  
The first few nights, they tried to imagine ways of escaping, in spite of the warnings. But the temperature soon dropped, and they could see for themselves that the mountain was rapidly getting covered with snow. In the end, they simply promised each other that they would try in the spring, and mostly became resigned to living there until then.  
  
It had been over two weeks since Phoebe had left with her cousins, and her parents were going mad with worry. They had already dispatched someone to the settlement, but had yet to hear from him.  
  
Paul was preparing to go himself, not willing to wait one more day. Prue had hardly slept in the last week and she was totally exhausted. Nevertheless, she couldn't find rest. Every time that she let herself drifting, horrible images peopled her nightmares. She wanted to go with him, but he hesitated at risking her safety as well. In the end however, she told him that she had to go or she would wither away from the worry.  
  
One day out in the trip, they met up with the messenger, and the news that he brought devastated them. The party had never arrived at destination and he had realized why on the way, when he found the carriage and the bodies. Seeing this, he had turned around immediately and come back toward the city. However his account left a little room for hope, as the man told them that no girls were among the victims. Because of this, they continued toward the settlement, determined to do anything to find their daughter and nieces.  
  
Meanwhile, the trappers had been looking for the Indians for over two weeks. The one who had been injured had finally succumbed to his wounds, and they demanded revenge for this. However, through a clever maneuver, the Indians had caused them to search in the opposite direction for most of that time. In the end, they had concluded that more men were needed to find this village. What's more, they were also aware that winter was coming rapidly. They decided to return home and come back in the spring with more men, to get rid of the threat…  
  
The traverse took them much longer than they were used to, as they had waited too long to depart. On the way, another of the trappers perished in a snowstorm, when he lost sight of the group and fell off a cliff, blinded by the snow.  
  
When they finally arrived on the other side of the mountain, they found the road and eventually, they also came upon the abandoned coach, along with at least five bodies, riddled with arrows. This outraged them even more. At the time, they had no idea that the Indians had taken prisoners, and they assumed that everyone was dead. They buried the bodies on the spot, and then went to the nearest settlement, determined to get soldiers to help them in the light of these murders.  
  
The trappers arrived at the outpost only hours before Paul and Prue. The soldiers, who had a camp near the settlement, understood the anger of both the trappers and later, the girl's parents, but they told them that nothing could be done about this until the spring. Paul tried everything to change their mind, even promising them a handsome reward, if they took the risk. He couldn't accept that his daughter might be alive and waiting for them, while he was sitting there doing nothing about it. For weeks after this, he went back to the soldiers' camp every day, always trying to change their mind. Nevertheless, in the end he had to accept their terms. That winter promised to be a long one for them as well, as neither him, nor Prue could bring themselves to leave there. At least, not until they were certain of their daughter's fate…  
  
They had been prisoners for over a month now, and had just about given up hope of being rescued by then. Many things had changed for them during that time. At first, Piper and Leo had tried to hide their feelings from the other two. However, as they were all living in the same tent, practically on top of each other, it had been impossible for them to maintain the façade.  
  
What surprised them as well as Paige however, was Phoebe's lack of reaction to the news. She didn't even try to pretend that it bothered her, and frankly this worried the others. She worked with them, and slept with them, but they could feel that she wasn't there in spirit. She had a few rare moments of animation, but most of the time she was apathetic. Her cousins tried to talk to her many times, but she simply dismissed them, saying that the fatigue did this to her.  
  
At first, they accepted this explanation, as they were exhausted themselves. However, Paige began to have suspicions about her cousin's attitude. From the start, she had been intrigued by her reaction to the man that they now knew as Jolon. However, Phoebe had refused to explain this any further, in spite of the many attempts Paige had made to get her to open up about it. She was certain that something bothered her about him, but it wasn't until now that she had realized something even more revealing. Those rare moments of animation almost always coincided with visits from him. He had not done so very often actually, but on occasions they had needed translation for some tasks that were a little too complex for simple hand gestures. For each of his visits, Paige remembered that Phoebe had seemed to brighten up briefly, and then to fall into an even deeper depression for days afterward.  
  
The people of the village still barely spoke to them, but the little they did had been enough for Paige to begin picking up on the language. She had discovered herself a talent for linguistics, and after a month, she helped the others learning some of it.  
  
Her insight came after one of those little sessions that she had with them before bedtime. Piper and Leo were happy to learn from her, as they felt so isolated in this place. To be able to understand what the people were saying around them would be at least a welcome distraction, they said. However, Phoebe was showing no real interest in this, and Paige had also wondered about it until that night. She came to her, after the others went to sleep, and found her sitting in front of the tent, with what was now her habitual vague expression.  
  
"Phoebe?"  
  
Her cousin barely acknowledged her but she pursued:  
  
"Shouldn't you be more interested in learning about these people? The more we know, the better our chances to get out of here eventually, you know?"  
  
Phoebe became agitated then:  
  
"Why would we need to learn their language? It's the tongue of savages. Jolon can always translate for us…"  
  
Since they had arrived here, Phoebe had been increasingly confused about her feelings. On the one hand, she was longing for something forbidden, unattainable. On the other hand, just the thought of it had her shuddering. Some days, she would spend crushed with the shame of her own desires. On others she would be hoping for even just a glimpse of him. In all this time however, he had not said a word to her. He even went out of his way to never look at her directly, and she couldn't tell anymore if this disappointed her, or if she was relieved.  
  
"Phoebe," Paige insisted, "we can't count on him to be there at all times. You'll have to get over yourself and start making the best of a bad situation…"  
  
Phoebe turned to her with more energy than she had seen in her throughout the whole month. This time she actually looked angry.  
  
"Don't you dare tell me what I should do or think… I have no intention of getting used to this," she added, her hands tracing an invisible circle that embraced the whole village.  
  
Paige answered irritably:  
  
"Wake up, Phoebe. We've been here for over a month and I'm afraid that this is it, at least for the time being. Accept it and live with it."  
  
Instead of answering, Phoebe got up and walked away.  
  
By then, the men had stopped guarding them altogether, as they truly had nowhere to go. Paige watched her going and finally thought that she understood her reticence. Maybe she just didn't want to give Jolon another reason not to come see them. At this moment, she put all of her cousin's strange reactions in perspective, and was appalled at the implication. She needed to know for sure, and decided to follow her, whether she wanted it or not.  
  
Paige caught up with Phoebe at the edge of the village, near the large tent, which belonged to the chief, as they learned eventually.  
  
"Phoebe, I need to talk to you…"  
  
"I think that we talked enough." Phoebe answered curtly, while avoiding Paige's inquiring stare.  
  
"I beg to differ. I tried many times to talk to you about Jolon. But until now, you always gave me the runaround. I demand to know what's the deal with you and this man."  
  
Phoebe gave her a horrified glance:  
  
"There is nothing between us. He's a savage, and if that wasn't enough," she couldn't help adding, almost in a whisper, "he won't even look at me…"  
  
Then her voice rose again, as she continued:  
  
"So why would you think that?"  
  
"For the very reason that him not paying attention to you seems to bother you so much…"  
  
"Get that idea out of your head. I want nothing to do with Jolon. Not now, not ever…"  
  
The pitch of her voice had steadily risen, as she was trying not only to convince Paige, but herself as well. However, she might have thought better of it had she known that he was listening in.  
  
Cole had spent the evening with the chief and his daughter, and just then, was coming out of the tent, when he heard the voices and stopped short.  
  
For all this time, he had been trying to forget about her, with very little success. He had tried avoiding to go anywhere near her for fear that his feelings would be exacerbated in her presence. In truth, every time that he had been to see them, he went away more confused. That week, he had spent away with the hunters, in the hope that a period of time away from the village would help clear his thoughts about it. But neither this, nor the nights he had spent with Noayak in the first few weeks after their arrival, could change anything to his feelings for her.  
  
Just now, he was reminded of the shaman's warning, however.  
  
The Shaman was the only one aware of Cole's dilemma. At first, when he had talk to him about his strange attitude, Cole had tried to dismiss it. But the Shaman was not one to be dismissed so easily, and one evening he had forced a confession out of the young man. He was not so much surprised, as appalled at this turn of event. He had always known that his adopted son had the gift of vision. Thus, the fact that in a way, he had foreseen her coming was not unexpected. What had appalled him was the obvious depth of Cole's feelings for her, and after a lengthy discourse about Cole's duties to the tribe, he had left him with this warning:  
  
"No matter what you may hope from her, she will never be yours. You were right to try and forget about her. She'll never accept you, and what's more, the people would not accept her either."  
  
This conversation had taken place a few weeks earlier, and since then he had redoubled his effort at keeping her out of his mind. However, this had been in vain. Throughout the last week, away with the hunters, all he could think about was to come back here. In the end, he had made up his mind that he had to try and be with her because he couldn't stand being apart. Contrary to what she thought, he had watched her often, no matter how hard he had tried not to. He had even seen the way she looked at him, and dared hoped once more that he had been mistaken about her dispositions. He had already decided to ignore the shaman's warning and try to win her love, even if he had to swallow his pride to succeed.  
  
However, before he could make good on his new resolve, he had received an insistent invitation from the chief to come visit. This one had hinted at a union with his daughter, forcing him to divert the conversation away from it, to Nasomsee and his daughter's disappointment.  
  
Noayak had been somewhat of a comfort in the first few weeks, but lately he had avoided her, and it was probably why she had tried to get him back in this manner. That is how he found himself there to hear Phoebe talking, and crushing his hopes.  
  
Now, her words, even uttered in anger, felt like a dagger through his heart. This time, he couldn't deny it anymore. He wanted to run away, but his legs felt like lead, and that is also why she found him there still.  
  
The moment that she had said those words, she had once more left her cousin behind, walking away resolutely. When she rounded the corner of the tent, she found herself face to face with him, and saw his expression. She knew right then what she had done, but it was too late to change it. Until that moment, she had not been certain that he had any feelings for her, or even how she truly felt about him. And now, his feelings were obvious, but so was the hurt.  
  
She tried to apologize:  
  
"Jolon I…"  
  
Not giving her time to finish, he turned away from her resolutely, almost running toward the woods in spite of the late hour. She had thought that her situation was difficult to tolerate until now, but in this instant, she felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest. Only now, did she realize the depth of her mistake. And it was too late to repair this, she thought.  
  
Her pain was such that she let herself down to the ground, tears rolling freely on her cheeks, and that is how Paige found her. She was astonished at her cousin's sudden turn around, as she was totally unaware of what had transpired. She believed that maybe, she was remorseful for her outburst and tried to reassure her about it. However, this seemed only to deepen her sorrow, to Paige's dismay. That night and the followings, she cried herself to sleep without ever telling Paige or the others the cause of her pain. Cole did not return to the village for a week…  
  
On the morning of the seventh day, Phoebe woke up with a resolution that finally put a smile on her face. She was still worried about him, but somehow she was certain that he would come back soon. "Then," she promised herself, he will have no doubts about my feelings for him." All through that week, she had yet again wondered about being with a man like him, but eventually she had understood that none of it mattered. For the first time in her life, she knew exactly what she wanted, and that was Jolon. Once she had admitted it to herself, she felt better about things, even convincing herself that he would forgive her outburst.  
  
When he actually came back that very morning however, he didn't come to her. She had been preparing to plead her cause, and to tell him how sorry she was for not realizing sooner how she felt. But all of this was for naught when she saw him at last. Instead of giving her a chance to explain herself, he ignored her completely, and went straight to the chief's tent. She learned later that day of his promise to take Noayak as his wife…  
  
Paige was the one who told her, as she had managed to listen in on a conversation between two women at the waterhole. Her task for the day was laundry, and it left her a lot of time to learn the language by doing just that. When she understood what they were talking about, she actually felt a certain relief. Thinking that now, Phoebe would just forget about him. She had not told Leo and Piper about Phoebe's feelings for Jolon, but had soon understood what her chagrin was about. All week, the talk of the village had been Jolon' sudden disappearance. It corresponded exactly to the night when Phoebe had exploded at her and then cried so much. She was still convinced that Phoebe would get over him quickly. How could it have been otherwise? He was just a savage after all. She still entertained the hope that they could escape in the spring and put all this awful mess behind them.  
  
When she told Phoebe the news, she was appalled at her reaction, however. Paige had trouble understanding how her cousin could be so taken with a man that was so uncivilized. She had expected some anger and pain, but never the devastation that she witnessed. There was nothing that she could find to say to her. Phoebe just ran out of the tent that night and stayed out much later than usual. When she came back, she didn't say a word, and neither did she for almost a week.  
  
At last, it was Piper who couldn't take not knowing what was the matter with her, and she decided to question her about it.  
  
"Phoebe?"  
  
Phoebe just kept her back to her and for a moment, Piper thought that maybe she had fallen asleep already. However, after a fashion, Phoebe answered.  
  
"Yes," she said, with a little sigh of impatience.  
  
"What is the matter with you?"  
  
Piper was worried about the answer. Ever since they had told her about Leo and her, she had wondered about her lack of reaction. Now she worried that Phoebe held a grudge against them. In fact, they had barely spoken to each other in weeks. And only for the necessary exchanges…  
  
"Nothing that concerns you," Phoebe finally answered cryptically.  
  
"Your attitude doesn't make sense, Phoebe. You have been like a ghost almost from the moment we arrived here. Is it…" Piper hesitated, "is it Leo and me," she dared asking with a little voice?  
  
Phoebe reacted at this:  
  
"No, of course not… I'm very happy for you and Leo."  
  
Piper was astonished:  
  
"You are?"  
  
Phoebe finally turned toward her:  
  
"I think that you did the right thing by following your heart. I wanted to tell you how sorry I was to have acted so badly toward you. I…I know that I was unfair and I hope that you can forgive me…"  
  
"Of course I forgive you, but still… Where is the Phoebe that I knew?"  
  
Phoebe frowned slightly:  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Don't take offense, because I love you very much either way but… the Phoebe I remember would not have gotten over this so easily…"  
  
Phoebe was about to protest, but Piper continued quickly:  
  
"And she was also full of life and determination. She would never have left an obstacle put her down."  
  
The sad resigned expression returned on Phoebe's face.  
  
"Goes to say that maybe you didn't know me as well as you thought…"  
  
"See, now you are reveling in self pity. What is that? What happened to you?"  
  
"It really doesn't matter. What does is that you made the right choice. You found the man of your dreams and you went after him, no matter the risk or what others would say. I just wish…"  
  
"What?"  
  
Phoebe turned away again:  
  
"Nothing. I'll be fine, don't worry."  
  
However, Piper couldn't help but worry. Far from reassuring her, this little talk had given her more to ponder on. She lied back against Leo, who was already sleeping, but she took a long time before falling asleep herself, as she tried to figure out what was the matter with her cousin.  
  
Paige had heard the whole conversation, but had preferred pretending to sleep. Suddenly, she felt ashamed about her misconceptions. She had just realized how much Phoebe cared about this man, no matter what he was, and it gave her pause.  
  
Ever since they had been taken prisoners, they had had to adapt to so many strange things and give up on most of the amenities that they had taken for granted all their lives. However, there was one that they were not willing to give up on, and it was to at least be able to wash up with warm water and a modicum of privacy. So after a lot of arguments made difficult by the language barrier, they had gained the right to do just that. A small tent had been raised just outside the village with a stove in it, where they could boil water and use it for their ablutions. It had taken them a few weeks to get this, and they were infinitely grateful not to have to bathe in the cold river. In time, some of the women in the village came to use the facility as well, please as they were with the idea. So that Phoebe was not overly surprised to find someone in the tent that day. When she saw who she was though, she had trouble keeping her dignity. Noayak was almost naked when Phoebe entered and didn't seem bothered at being interrupted. However, Phoebe wasn't all that thrilled at seeing her, in this situation or any other.  
  
Noayak was very intuitive by nature. She knew that she had almost lost Jolon to someone else, but until now, she had avoided the strangers altogether, and she had no idea on who was the girl that had caught his eye. In fact, it had been a subject of worries for her, as she was so taken with Jolon. Even after he promised himself to her, Noayak had sensed that something was holding him back. Then, she looked into Phoebe's eyes for the first time, and what she read in them was the same feeling that she knew she would have if she were faced with a rival.  
  
This came as a total shock to her, but she hid it well, and, picking up her clothes, she dressed up slowly, showing all the confidence of the winner while doing so.  
  
At this moment, Phoebe wanted nothing less than to rip her eyes out. She had never felt such a strong feeling about anyone besides her love for Jolon. She hated her with every fiber of her being, even though she knew that it certainly wasn't her fault. When the Indian girl went out of the tent, without a single word to her, Phoebe suddenly remembered Piper's words about how much she had changed. And most of all, she recalled her comment about self-pity…  
  
"You wait," she told herself. "I'm not out of his life just yet." She added with more determination than she had demonstrated in weeks.  
  
In that instant, she promised herself that she would go for what she wanted with everything she was. This decision gave her a jolt of energy that felt good. "I moped long enough," she continued aloud. Then she looked down on herself, realizing that she was far from looking her best. She had been so depressed in the last few weeks that she had not even cared how ugly her clothes were, or how lackluster her hair had become. She didn't dwell anymore on her mistake, but convinced herself that if she just made him look, she would have a chance. She took a brush that they had gotten back from the Indians along with most of their clothes, and began stroking her hair vigorously. Then after washing up, she decided to put on one of her own outfits for a change. Once she was certain that she looked better than she had in weeks, she went back to the village, determined to make a good impression on him.  
  
Piper was the first one to see her, and she opened her mouth in surprise.  
  
"Wow, what is the big occasion?"  
  
Phoebe simply smiled mysteriously, but said nothing. Instead, she began walking toward the part of the village where she knew he spent most of his time…  
  
Noayak had been much more worried about what she found out than she let out. She had gone directly to his tent, knowing that he was there, practicing meditation. She knew that he didn't like to be disturbed on those occasions, but she felt the need for reassurance. Even after they had made love, he would seem to drift far away from her these days, and that's what had given her the idea that someone else was on his mind. Now she knew who the "someone" was, and much more than this, she knew that she wanted him too. It was almost inconceivable that he would prefer this doll to her. But what if it was true? What if the girl came after him and he left her. She couldn't bear the thought. So she entered in spite of her reservation, determined to reaffirm her hold on him.  
  
He was surprised to see her and let her know, but she laughed and came to him playfully.  
  
"Come on Jolon, I can't wait till tonight…"  
  
No matter how he felt about Phoebe, Noayak was still very stimulating, and he could hardly ever resist her. That morning was no exception.  
  
He pulled her toward him and held her tight, as he was already putting his other hand on her breast. It encouraged her and she wormed her hands inside the leather pants, feeling immediately that she had his full attention, so to speak. He was now kissing her hungrily and was almost lost in the moment, when he had the impulse to look behind her. When he saw Phoebe in front of the entrance, he almost pulled away from Noayak. But then, the resentment took over again, and rather than stopping, he continued with even more ardor, throwing the Indian girl to the ground and positively ripping her clothes off of her. Phoebe felt numb at the sight of them. Yet, she couldn't look away for a long moment. At this point she was torn between the horrible disappointment that she felt, and the fascination with the scene before her. He was kissing the other woman all over in the manner that she wanted him to kiss her. She felt paralyzed, forced to watch… Then she suddenly closed her eyes and gathered enough strength to turn away and run. The moment that she had left, he knew instinctively, and pulled away from Noayak. This one was totally confused, as for a moment there he had been more passionate than he had in weeks. By now she knew that it had been since the white people came to the village…  
  
She opened her eyes and looked up to see his face contorted in what she thought looked like shame. He got up at this point, and without a word, left the tent. She wasn't certain what exactly had brought this about, but she had a pretty good idea. Painfully, she realized that she might be losing him…  
  
Phoebe had been running all the way to the water hole, where she sat heavily, looking down in the water. What she saw there looked to her like a pathetic imitation of a woman. She was certain now that he didn't want her anymore. She almost turned away, but then she saw his reflection as well, and she almost screamed in surprise. She had not realized that he had seen her at his tent. Now she was afraid of his reaction, and didn't dare look back at him. Instead, she waited in silence, holding her breath.  
  
He stood there without a word for a moment, and then he asked in a hard voice:  
  
"What were you doing there?"  
  
In that instant in the tent, all he had been able to think about was the humiliation that he had felt because of her, and he had wanted her to suffer in the same manner. But it soon had transformed into shame and pain at the thought of what he was doing. However, he feared that she was there only to crush his feelings some more, and couldn't bring himself to see another meaning into her coming to him.  
  
She wasn't answering, so he repeated impatiently:  
  
"What were you doing there?"  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath and answered, keeping her back to him:  
  
"I… I wanted to see you, to tell you…"  
  
"What," he interrupted anxiously.  
  
She bit her lips, and then continued:  
  
"It doesn't matter anymore. It will not happen again…"  
  
"I need to know," Jolon asked, almost pleading, and the tone of his voice, much more than what he said, gave her a sudden hope.  
  
She got up slowly and turned to him, still keeping her eyes down, afraid, as she was, to have read something that wasn't there in his voice.  
  
He took a step closer, extending a hesitant hand toward her; he put it under her chin, forcing her to look up at him.  
  
"I need to know," he repeated again.  
  
She was speechless, just melting at his touch and unable to answer.  
  
However, when he looked in her eyes, he didn't need her to answer. It was so clearly expressed that he knew as surely as if she had told him how she felt. Jolon bent slightly toward her and she smiled just so, but it was enough. His hand slowly moved from her chin toward the back of her neck and she lifted her face toward him. They were just about to seal what they both felt with a kiss, when Noayak called to him in a loud and reproachful voice.  
  
Phoebe felt this as a slap in the face, and she pulled away right then. The scene that she had witnessed earlier was now burning in her mind. Jolon wanted to hold her, to keep her from leaving, but he remembered only then of his promise to Noayak. Phoebe could read this as well in his eyes and it made her feel horrible. She turned away from him and ran in the direction of the village. She couldn't help crossing path with the other woman, but she avoided her stare, giving her a wide berth and continuing on her way quickly.  
  
Back at the tent, she didn't even stop to answer Piper's questioning look.  
  
She entered and threw herself on the cot with a grunt of rage. Why was it so difficult? She had thought that living close to nature was supposed to make things easier. Well now, she knew that people were complicated everywhere.  
  
Cole had greeted Noayak with a grim stare that didn't do anything to reassure her. Once more, she felt that she was losing him and wept inwardly, but she didn't let him see her chagrin. Instead, she demonstrated rightful anger at his behavior.  
  
"Jolon, what were you doing with that one?" She spat. "She's not even one of the People. She is a stranger to us…"  
  
Cole retorted:  
  
"No more than I was. It didn't keep you from bedding me."  
  
He had said it so harshly that she felt it as a vile insult.  
  
"You're promised to me. Remember that, or my father will have to remind you himself."  
  
She then turned away from him, unwilling to show him her pain. She knew that her words had been harsh, but this didn't give her any urge to apologize since his had been worse.  
  
She went back to her father, but didn't make good on the threat about telling him. At least not yet, she thought. She still promised herself that no matter what, the girl wouldn't end up with him.  
  
Another painful week passed, and the three of them had managed to avoid each other. Cole couldn't help but worrying about Noayak's threat. A promise of marriage was as bonding as the marriage itself in his nation, and what was more, he knew that it would be even worse when they learned that he was thinking of leaving her for a white woman. All the doubts that they had entertained about him in his first few years there would resurface. He didn't want to leave this place. It was his home. However, the more he thought about it, the more he believed that if he couldn't be with Phoebe, maybe it didn't matter all that much. He couldn't seem to make up his mind and thought that a cold bath in the river would help clear his thoughts.  
  
Phoebe had just finished her chores for the day and decided that a walk was what the doctor ordered. She was just as confused and depressed as she had been the week before, going through the motion and hiding her feelings as much as she could from her cousins. Leo had offered to keep her company, as he was finding himself without anything to do as well, but she declined a little too abruptly. She regretted it immediately but couldn't stand the idea of company right now. She had been walking for about fifteen minutes, staying out of sight of the village, but never wandering too far, as she was afraid of getting lost still, when she noticed someone in the river. It didn't take her long to see that it was a man, swimming naked in the water. She quickly hid behind a bush, turning crimson at her own audacity. She was always amazed at how the Indians didn't seem to be bothered by the cold, and swam even in these low temperatures. Against her better judgement, she moved closer still. "Maybe, I am looking for some kind of distraction," she thought to herself. She almost giggled for the first time in weeks at the thought of her naughtiness. When she had moved close enough, always hiding behind one of the many bushes that flanked the riverbank, she dared look back at the man. She was surprised that there seemed to be no one there anymore, until he came out of the water with a splash. Then, she gasped when she recognized Jolon, who was now swimming lazily, coming toward her… 


	5. The Wild (Chapter 5)

The Wild  
  
Chapter V  
  
Phoebe hid back behind the bush, worried that he might have seen her, and then, she didn't dare move. After a moment however, she thought that she heard splashes, and she looked back. She couldn't see him anymore and assumed that he had gone underwater, so she waited with a little thrill.  
  
"I suppose that it's only fair," Jolon said behind her, causing her heart to skip a beat.  
  
She took a few deep breaths to bring back her heart to a more reasonable pace, and then she asked without turning to him.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Her voice was shaky, but Phoebe couldn't help it. Jolon had come even closer, and she could feel him behind her.  
  
"Well," he said slightly amused, "I watched you once, so I guess it's only fair that you did the same to me."  
  
She gasped at this sincere, but oh embarrassing revelation. She was immediately convinced that he referred to that day in the woods, where she thought that some animal was after her. However, it also gave her another little thrill to know this.  
  
"I guess that we're even, then," Phoebe answered in the same shaky voice.  
  
Cole simply moved closer and she almost gasped for breath.  
  
"I suppose so…"  
  
She should have walked away then, considering that things were far from settled. But she didn't want to… Seeing that she wasn't leaving, he came closer even and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She felt cold drops of water falling on her face, but she didn't care. She leaned into him, just pleased to be near him, to feel him around her. Still holding her, he bent toward her neck, smelling her scent with obvious delight. He felt her trembling at his touch when he kissed her neck, then moved up toward her cheek. His kisses were light, almost fearful, as if he was afraid that anything more would scare her away. His hand descended at her waist and slowly lifted the loose fitting blouse until he had cupped her breast, and she felt dizzy with desire. She turned her face halfway toward him and he moved to her lips, at first simply brushing against hers, then when she parted them, his kiss became deeper and more demanding, his caresses harder on her breast. She could feel him against her back and she had no doubts on the meaning of it. It exacerbated her need, as she now responded to his kiss with as much passion, if not experience.  
  
His hands went down slowly toward her belly, then her hips, where he started pulling the skirt, just as slowly, all the while kissing her. But when his hand came to rest on her bare thigh, she jumped a little. He stopped and held her face toward him. Then he whispered hoarsely:  
  
"I want you Phoebe, I want you so much. But if you want me to stop, I will…"  
  
She hesitated, not afraid of giving herself to him, but of the consequences. Still, feeling him against her like this drove her mad with want, and she suddenly turned toward him, lifting her face to him invitingly. He crushed her in his arms, as his kiss was almost painful, but delectable. She put her hands on his back and started caressing him, very much aware of his naked body against her. Suddenly she pulled away again, trying in vain to resist her impulse, and on his face she could read something akin to pain, as he watched her askance.  
  
She put her hands on his face, tracing the frown on his forehead and whispered:  
  
"I want you too, god I want you…"  
  
He didn't wait for more, kissing her again and picking her up. Then he carried her toward the nearby wood, where she realized, there was another tent, slightly bigger than the ones in the village. Much later, she understood that this was some kind of sweat lodge.  
  
There were bear skins lying on the floor, and he lowered her on one of them. He only stopped kissing her then, and finished undressing her almost impatiently. She tried to pull him toward her, but he pushed her arms over her head, caressing them slowly. She felt so exposed and yet not worried in the least about it. His hands slid back down, just as slowly, caressing every part of her body as if he needed to feel that she was real.  
  
"Please," she said in a voice that she barely recognized as her own, while arching her hips toward him.  
  
But even then, he prolonged her delightful agony, moving up again, this time kissing her legs, then her stomach and finally her breast until she begged him again.  
  
Then, he parted her legs suddenly and entered her at once, and as he came back toward her mouth, his kiss muffled the scream that she uttered. At first, he moved slowly, and then when she instinctively arched her hips further toward him, he moved faster and deeper until she thought that they were one. His expert caresses soon brought her to ecstasy, and only then did he take his own pleasure. Then he simply held her against him, his heart still racing and she could feel him trembling, as he looked upon her with more adoration than she thought possible. She imagined that no one could feel as happy and content as she did in his arms.  
  
When he finally moved away from her, she felt lost and tried to pull him back to her.  
  
He smiled teasingly:  
  
"Wait," he said.  
  
He went to get another of the skins and covered them both with it, as he pulled her head on his chest lovingly.  
  
She smiled sweetly, keeping her eyes close and molding herself to him. For a long moment they said nothing, just basking in this newly found peace.  
  
She had not moved at all in the last few minutes and he started to wonder if she was asleep. Putting his hand on her hair, he began stroking it softly, just happy to feel her against him. Then, he had to know:  
  
"Are you asleep," he whispered.  
  
Her response surprised him for its forcefulness:  
  
"God, I hope not!" She answered, as she turned toward him.  
  
He couldn't help being curious about this.  
  
"Why would you think that it's a dream? Trust me… I know what I'm talking about when I say this was real."  
  
He was smiling while saying it, but Phoebe couldn't help question this:  
  
"What makes you so sure?" She asked, as she deposited light kisses on his chest and felt the need for him returning.  
  
"I dreamt of you… Often…" Jolon answered at last, his breathing already quickening.  
  
"You dreamt of me," she asked, still caressing him. She knew that she was pleasing him when his stroking became more forceful, almost pushing her toward him.  
  
His voice became hoarse again as he answered:  
  
"For a long time, I was waiting for you…Then you came… like a miracle…"  
  
She stopped and looked up, now frankly intrigued.  
  
"You mean that you dreamt of me before you met me?"  
  
"I saw you in my visions…"  
  
She took a deep breath then, totally flabbergasted. How could this be? Had he come to her in her dreams because of the visions, or was there another meaning to this.  
  
Her sudden change of attitude surprised him.  
  
He pulled her up so that she would face him, and there, he could see the indecision on her face.  
  
"I have visions, often. I've had them since I was a child. That's why I was chosen to succeed the Shaman." He said, thinking that this might suffice as an explanation.  
  
In a little voice, Phoebe replied:  
  
"I didn't know," and then a little more firmly, she added, "I don't know much about Indians. Only the little I heard, seen, and…"  
  
She couldn't bring herself to talk of her fears. Not then…  
  
"What?" Jolon asked, still puzzled.  
  
There was another matter that she had tried to forget about until this moment, but this Phoebe couldn't leave alone. She decided that they might as well talk about it now.  
  
"It really doesn't matter what I thought, but there is something I'm worried about, yes. What about the Indian girl that you promised to marry…? Noayak I think." She had said this very quickly, afraid that talking about it would be enough to end her happiness. Still, she had to know.  
  
He frowned slightly, unsure of what he should say to this. Then he answered:  
  
"I like Noayak a lot… we've known each other since we were children."  
  
Phoebe stiffened in his arms and almost pulled away, but this time he held on to her.  
  
"But I love you."  
  
She took a moment before realizing what he had said.  
  
Then, she asked, almost afraid that she had misunderstood:  
  
"You do?"  
  
He pulled her face toward his, and kissed her softly before answering.  
  
"With all my heart! I know now that you're the only one for me, if you'll have me."  
  
She wanted so much to just say yes and forget about everything else. However, there had been too many misunderstandings already between them and, in spite of her fears she thought that they should clear the air now, end the uncertainty.  
  
"Why did you ask her to marry you, if you loved me?"  
  
He didn't like to be reminded of his promise, as it was still a problem to which he had found no solution, but he owed her an answer.  
  
"I was angry and hurt. And I thought at the time that you truly didn't feel the same as I did. I believed that there was no hope between us."  
  
Phoebe became agitated again:  
  
"You didn't even give me a chance to explain…"  
  
Jolon knew that he had been wrong, but the damage was done.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
That was all he could think to say.  
  
"What will happen now?" She asked.  
  
"I'm not sure exactly, but there is one thing that I know for certain, and it is that I love you, only you."  
  
"Can't you just tell her that?"  
  
"It's more complicated than you think. It's not just that I made a promise. It's also that she is the chief's daughter. He won't be thrilled when he realizes that I left his daughter for…"  
  
He was almost going to say a white woman, but caught himself.  
  
However, Phoebe understood without being told and it felt like a slap in the face. This time she sat back, pulling one of the bearskins to cover herself. At this point, no matter how she felt about him, if she had not been certain that he meant what he said about loving her, she probably would have run away.  
  
He sat up and looked at her with a painful expression, now also worried that it might be too late for them in spite of their feelings.  
  
Finally, she whispered:  
  
"What are we going to do?"  
  
"I don't know yet, but we will find a way. Please don't give up on us." Jolon pleaded.  
  
Again, she wanted to just forget about it and go to him, but this had brought back all her reservations about them. Not that she doubted her feelings for him, but all the problems that they had faced until now stemmed in the misconceptions and things left untold.  
  
She took a deep breath and began:  
  
"I do not want to give up, far from…"  
  
Jolon felt relief, but it was short lived.  
  
"But there is more that I need to know. As I am sure that you might too. You're trying to avoid it, but I know our differences matter. I also worry about it."  
  
"What do you mean," he asked with a hint of irritation coming through then. He realized that he had reacted badly and started again, while trying to keep his voice calm:  
  
"I'm sorry… you have a right to ask…"  
  
Phoebe looked away, afraid of his reaction, and yet she had to know:  
  
"Why did you kill those men when you attacked us? What did they ever do to you? Was that also simply because they were white…Like me…" her voice trailed…  
  
This came as a total shock as he had not expected it. It also irritated him, most of all because he had questioned himself about it as well. He had never wanted to kill anyone. Yet, to prove himself to the other men of the tribe, he had, and now to hear her reproaching it to him…  
  
"White men had killed our own, it demanded our response," he answered, but with too little conviction.  
  
Phoebe couldn't help reacting to this, as she faced him:  
  
"They were not the ones who had hurt your people. They didn't deserve this, and neither did we deserve to be made prisoners…"  
  
He couldn't look at her anymore and turned away lying down with his back to her.  
  
"Jolon, I'm sorry…"  
  
"Why are you with me if you think of me as a monster," he interrupted.  
  
"No! I just…I just needed to know, that's all. I need us to be honest with each other."  
  
"I don't understand what you want from me. I can't change what happened."  
  
"I know…" Phoebe moved toward him while saying so, but stopped short of touching him. "But what I really need to know is this. Is there a part of you that hate me too because I'm white?"  
  
She had said it so fast that Jolon thought for a moment that he had not heard right.  
  
"Hate you?" he questioned, appalled.  
  
"Yes," she whispered.  
  
"How can you think that I hate you?" He said, although still keeping his back to her.  
  
"You hated those men because they were not like you, so why not me?"  
  
"That's not true, Phoebe. I could never hate you." He hesitated, and then continued:  
  
"But does a part of you hate me?" he asked then, fearing the answer.  
  
She came to lie beside him this time, resting her head on his shoulder:  
  
"I can't hate you, I love you."  
  
Her touch felt like a balm for his pain, but he still said:  
  
"You would have a right to, we shouldn't have killed them…"He admitted painfully. Then:  
  
"Are you still so certain that you love me?" He asked hoarsely.  
  
She put her hand on his face, forcing him to look up.  
  
"I have never been more certain of anything in my life."  
  
She kissed his lips lightly before pursuing:  
  
"No matter what you did or what happens next, it won't change the way I feel about you. Nothing could."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I saw you in my dreams too. You came to me, and from the first moment, I knew that you were the one. I didn't think that you were real, yet, you were the one that I had been waiting for all my life."  
  
She stopped, almost expecting him to tell her that she was crazy, but he could only look at her in amazement.  
  
"Imagine what I thought when I saw you. And yet, I was afraid because I thought that we were too different to ever be together. I don't think that anymore," Phoebe added quickly, when she saw his expression darken again.  
  
"You have to believe me."  
  
He responded by turning back toward her completely and pulling her tightly against him, again losing himself in her. As their passion flared, he had the fleeting doubt that maybe she had guessed at his origins and accepted him much more because of this than anything else. However, he rejected this idea quickly, now utterly convinced that the feelings that they shared were strong enough to overcome anything, and that they had been destined to be together…  
  
At first, Piper and Paige didn't think much of Phoebe's absence, as she had been spending a lot of time alone since they had arrived here. However, as night fell and she didn't come back, they began to worry seriously about her. Leo knew where she had been heading earlier, and suggested that he should go look for her.  
  
"I'll go with you." Piper affirmed.  
  
Leo protested:  
  
"No you better stay here where it's safe…"  
  
"Safe? We're prisoners! We're not in a safe place, no matter what things look like."  
  
Her voice was edgy and he didn't insist anymore, knowing that she worried about her cousin.  
  
They took torches, as it was a moonless night, and they went toward the river, as they both knew that it was one of her favorite places to go and spend time alone.  
  
Paige was the only one who had imagined a different scenario for Phoebe's absence, but she had no proof of it and she let them go while she took off toward Jolon's tent.  
  
The gossip mill was very efficient in the village and she had understood soon that there was no need for newspapers around this place, as everyone seemed to know everything about everybody. So, hoping to gather any useful information and to learn more of their language, she had listened in more and more to these gossips. That week, the principal subject had been Jolon and Noayak, or rather the fact that they didn't spend any time together. Many reasons were invoked for this, but mostly that they had a lover's quarrel and would surely be back together in no time. The way they were talking about it, Paige got the impression that their impending wedding couldn't be stopped. As if it was unthinkable that either one of them could go back on their word. Most of the time, the girls were simply saying that she should be more reasonable or her life would soon be miserable.  
  
What was truly surprising to her was that, in spite of all that these women knew about the workings of their community, none of them suspected Phoebe of being responsible for the problem. "Maybe," she reflected, "we are so unimportant to them that they could not even imagine it." However Paige could and had. Now nearing his tent, she could see that unlike the other habitations, no fire had been lighted there. During these cold nights, it was a dead giveaway that he wasn't in there. Coming out of his tent however, was Noayak, which seemed puzzled at not finding him there, or at least that is what Paige assumed, while watching her.  
  
Noayak noticed Paige, who was standing back, waiting for her to go away, obviously. But Noayak didn't leave this time. What's more, she went to the white girl and planted herself resolutely before her. Noayak had decided to try once more to patch things up with Jolon. Nothing could make her believe that he would prefer Phoebe to her. She had wondered about his absence but not really worried until now. When she saw her rival's friend there, she wondered seriously about it.  
  
Coming to her, at first she spoke quickly, and obviously the girl couldn't understand a word, but she knew that this one had learned a little of the People's language, so she slowed down.  
  
"What you doing here," she said as simply as she could.  
  
The look of understanding was obvious on Paige's face, but so was the sudden hint of fear. Noayak came closer, pushing:  
  
"What are you doing here?" She said louder.  
  
Paige finally answered, against her better judgement.  
  
"Looking for my cousin, Phoebe," she answered, biting her lips.  
  
"Why did I have to say it," Paige thought right then. Yet, Noayak didn't seem to react at this and Paige imagined that she was just like the other women of the village, ignoring them altogether.  
  
The Indian Girl still answered curtly:  
  
"No one here, go away…"  
  
Paige didn't wait for more and turned back. On the way, she decided to rejoin with Piper and Leo. No one else would help them if something had truly happened, although she was increasingly convinced that if they found her, she wouldn't be alone.  
  
What she didn't know was that Noayak had reached the same conclusion and followed her…  
  
Piper was the first one to notice the pants on the bank. She wondered about this, since the Indians, even as savage as they might be, were not in the habit of leaving their clothes all over. She looked curiously toward the river surface, and then Leo came to her, about to question her about it. She put her hand up, straining to hear or see something even in the dark, but she couldn't.  
  
They both started walking slowly along the river, moving toward the thick forest with apprehension.  
  
They almost turned back once there, wary to enter it at night, but then Piper's eye caught sights of Phoebe's hair band in a branch. She had almost missed it, but now she was getting more worried by the moment, imagining the worst…  
  
Paige saw the torches and moved quickly toward them. She never noticed Noayak, who was increasingly convinced that she had been right.  
  
Jolon had betrayed her, and as soon as she had the proof, he would pay for it…  
  
In spite of their apprehension, Piper and Leo entered the forest, soon followed by Paige and then Noayak. There they found the tent from where a smoke column was coming out.  
  
Phoebe had finally fallen asleep after many hours where they had not thought about anything but each other. Now that they were spent, Cole realized that the night had grown much cooler, and he started the fire. Then, he had soon fallen asleep as well. So that when Leo entered the tent almost in panic, the sight of them asleep in each other's arms threw him for a loop. He had expected something much more sinister. He also was slightly embarrassed and tried to get out without waking them up, but Piper entering behind him, exclaimed a little too loud. Cole was the first to wake up, but seeing whom it was, he didn't worry too much.  
  
Phoebe woke up soon after and pulled the bearskin to her with a little scream of embarrassment.  
  
Piper was speechless for a moment, but then she got angry with her cousin for worrying them like this:  
  
"Phoebe, what are you doing here?"  
  
Phoebe, back from the surprise, replied:  
  
"Frankly, I'd appreciate if we discussed this some other time."  
  
"We were worried sick!" Piper exclaimed again.  
  
"Well, now you can see that you had no reason."  
  
Leo averted his eyes and grabbed Piper's arm.  
  
"Come on Piper, I think that there's nothing more to say tonight…"  
  
Piper wasn't quite ready to go, but she agreed nevertheless. They then turned around and found themselves facing Paige, but she wasn't alone… 


	6. The Wild (Chapter 6)

The Wild  
  
Chapter VI  
  
Piper only gasped in surprise because she had not expected anyone behind them. She was not as aware of the gossips as Paige was, and didn't really know the significance of the Indian girl's presence there. Paige, who had just arrived, saw her sister looking behind her, and turned to find Noayak.  
  
This one simply ignored them and entered the tent resolutely, as Paige stared in horror. She was certain that inside, she would find Phoebe and Jolon, even if she had not seen them yet. Her sister's exclamation had been loud enough to hear from a ways…  
  
Paige berated herself for being so stupid. She had brought her to them and now, from what she had understood, they both would be in deep trouble.  
  
Once in the tent, Noayak looked furiously upon them. She started screaming in Indian, and Phoebe didn't understand a word of it. Nevertheless, the look on her lover's face was more than enough to tell her that it wasn't good. He began answering her, his voice steadily rising in volume, as Noayak became hysterical. At some point, he even put himself between them, and Phoebe understood why, when she saw the girl moving threateningly toward them. Jolon talked her down in a very hard voice and she spat to the ground right after this, her face contorted by rage. Then, Noayak stormed out of the tent, pushing Leo and Piper out of the way rudely, as they had stayed in the entrance, ready to intervene.  
  
For a moment, Jolon said nothing, still shaken by the altercation.  
  
"Jolon? What happened? What did she say?"  
  
He turned to her, trying to smile reassuringly.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll take care of this…"  
  
"Take care of what? I mean, now she simply will break your engagement, won't she?"  
  
His expression told her that it might not be so simple.  
  
"I have to go now. I'm afraid that the chief will want to talk to me soon…"  
  
He was already getting up but Phoebe held on to him.  
  
"Please, I need to know what you think will happen?"  
  
Jolon sighed while coming back to her:  
  
"I'm not sure, but I know that Noayak is still very angry and might cause trouble."  
  
Phoebe could actually relate to her anger, as she herself remembered how she felt when seeing them together.  
  
"I can understand that. However, what good would hurt you do to her?"  
  
Jolon answered very seriously:  
  
"You don't know how proud she is. I didn't just break our engagement; I humiliated her. She won't forgive this anytime soon…"  
  
He came closer and kissed her lightly, while caressing her hair:  
  
"Phoebe, you have to promise me to stay with your family at all time, from now on."  
  
Phoebe replied with a hint of fear:  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't know what will happen exactly, but I'm sure that they will blame you as well, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I would die if I lost you."  
  
From his very serious expression, she could see that he had meant it. It didn't reassure her in the least. But what worried her even more was what might happen to him:  
  
"What will they do to you?"  
  
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine…"  
  
She felt tears coming, and she leaned against his chest, still holding on to him, as if she was afraid that he might never come back if she let go. He wrapped his arms around her in response, loath to leave her as well.  
  
"Could they?" The question was stuck in Phoebe's throat, and she swallowed hard. However, she had to know, even if it was selfish of her:  
  
"Could they keep you away from me?"  
  
Jolon reacted forcefully, tightening his hold on her:  
  
"Nobody will keep me away from you. I promise."  
  
She knew that he had meant it, but couldn't help worrying about the others. What if they hurt him, or took him prisoner. She wasn't worried about herself anymore, but only that indeed, if he didn't come back, if something happened to him, she might die from chagrin.  
  
"I don't want you to go, I'm scared for you."  
  
Jolon took her face in his hands, forcing her to look up.  
  
"I swear to you, I'll be back and we'll be together forever, no matter what."  
  
He then kissed her passionately.  
  
Afterward, he got up quickly, afraid that if he gave her the chance, she would weaken his resolve again. Then he got out of the tent, actually startling Leo and Piper, particularly for the fact that he was still naked…Piper averted her eyes, while her face turned red from embarrassment.  
  
When he had gone, she couldn't help mumbling:  
  
"Savages…"  
  
It seemed to amuse Leo, and she grunted at seeing his little smile. His amusement was short lived however, as they had gotten Paige to tell them what she knew, even as they were listening in on the fight.  
  
Obviously, Piper and he had lost track of a lot of things during the last few weeks.  
  
Piper turned again toward Paige:  
  
"You know that you should've told us? Maybe if you had, this fiasco could've been avoided…" But then she realized that she herself was in part responsible for this. She had been the one encouraging Phoebe to follow her heart. Of course, at the time, she didn't know that she was in love with a man already engaged.  
  
"I had no idea that it had come this far…" Paige said to defend herself.  
  
Piper simply ignored her and she turned away, now ready to have a talk with her cousin.  
  
She found Phoebe still sitting with the bearskin for only cover. She had tears in her eyes and seemed transfixed.  
  
Piper suddenly felt pity for her pain, and forgot momentarily about her irritation toward her.  
  
"Phoebe?"  
  
This one barely looked up at hearing her voice.  
  
Looking at her, Piper felt the irritation mounting again, but this time directed at the man who had taken advantage of her, and seemingly run back to his fiancée.  
  
"What did he do to you? What kind of a man is he? Leaving you after this," she said, vaguely indicating the bedding without insisting on the meaning, as it still embarrassed her.  
  
This got a reaction from her cousin, who used anger to shake the fear and pain:  
  
"How dare you? You don't know him! You don't know anything about us…"  
  
Piper recoiled slightly at the angry tone of voice. She had not expected her to defend him so fiercely, no matter what Paige said.  
  
"Phoebe, he took advantage of you, then he ran out at the first sign of trouble."  
  
Phoebe pulled the skin around her and stood in front of her cousin with fire in her eyes.  
  
"How easily you judge…You! Who slept with my soon to be fiancé without even blinking…"  
  
"Phoebe! And you said that you were happy for us, now I should have known better!"  
  
The two cousins stared at each other angrily for a moment, but in the end, it's Phoebe who backed down, as she realized that she had gone too far.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it… But you don't know," she said almost pleadingly this time. "He loves me, and I love him."  
  
Piper wasn't ready to give in just yet:  
  
"What? You call this love?"  
  
Phoebe sighed and closed her eyes, unable to endure the reproach in hers.  
  
"Piper, I have known him for a long time, and I know that he loves me."  
  
"You have known him for as long as we have," Piper said decidedly. "And may I remind you that he's our captor? Or have you forgotten that little detail?"  
  
Phoebe had pain repressing the tears:  
  
"You don't understand… Maybe, I can't convince you, but I know that I'm right."  
  
Piper replied angrily:  
  
"No, I don't understand, Phoebe. Why don't you enlighten me?"  
  
Piper knew that she was overreacting, but she was hurt by her comment, and no amount of apologies would make up for it at the moment. Still, she truly wanted to know how she could be so sure of him, considering what she had seen…  
  
Phoebe seemed about to talk, then she shrugged sadly:  
  
"You'll only think that I'm crazy…"  
  
"Frankly, as things stand, I'm not too sure that you're in your right mind anyway. So why don't you try me? Who knows, it might actually make sense…"  
  
Her tone of voice indicated clearly that it was very unlikely. However, Phoebe thought that she at least owed her an explanation.  
  
Therefore, she told her about the dreams, and then Piper finally exclaimed:  
  
"Dreams? You base your certainty on dreams?"  
  
"I know that it all sounds fantastic, impossible really; but it's all true. We shared dreams long before we met. And I had fallen in love with him through those dreams. Even when I thought that it was crazy because he most certainly didn't exist, I couldn't help it…"  
  
"You're right Phoebe; this is too fantastic to be true. First of all, if like you say, you loved each other long before, why did he ignore you so blatantly all this time?"  
  
Phoebe sighed again.  
  
"It's complicated, and I can't explain all of it. It was just a bad series of circumstances. Until today, I didn't even know that he had shared my dreams…"  
  
She saw that Piper was about to protest again, but this time she didn't let her:  
  
"No matter what you think; what you all think, it won't change the fact that I love him, and that he loves me. So please, if you can't understand it, at least do not stand in our way."  
  
"I want to believe you, Phoebe. But I also think that you're going to get hurt. What if he goes back to her?"  
  
Phoebe just turned around without answering. She didn't feel like arguing any longer. There were too many reasons to worry already. She just hoped that in time, her cousin would see that she was right…  
  
Most of all, she was hoping that the little seed of doubts that her cousin had just planted in her would go away soon…  
  
Phoebe dressed up, and even though she was not really completely finished with her, Piper saw that her cousin wouldn't discuss the matter any further. At least not at the moment… However, she promised herself to try again at a later time.  
  
When Phoebe was ready, she simply indicated so to Piper, and they went out of the tent without another word.  
  
Paige and Leo looked questioningly toward them, but no explanation was forthcoming from either one, so they simply followed them back to the village in silence.  
  
Cole had stopped to retrieve his clothes, and then simply ran to the village and his adopted father… He needed the advice of his mentor now more than ever. He had never been faced with such a situation. Nothing would change the way he felt about Phoebe, of that, he was certain. However, the possibility to lose everything he had lived for until now scared him. The people here were his family, and had been for years. Now, he knew that Noayak would do anything that she could to hurt him, and in truth, he couldn't blame her. He knew that he had been unfair to her.  
  
Still, he had hoped to find a solution, given time. Now, this possibility had been annihilated. And things were even worse than he had feared. If he only could have talked to her, instead of her finding them like this…  
  
When he arrived at the Shaman's tent, he simply entered as the old man was used to receive him at all hours of day and night. For this reason, the Shaman was not surprised to see him. However, after Cole related the events of the evening to him, his expression turned grim, which did not reassure Cole in the least…  
  
"I warned you Jolon. You should have stayed away from her…"  
  
Cole replied emphatically:  
  
"I could no more stay away than I could stop breathing. I need her."  
  
The Shaman took a moment before answering.  
  
"Are you certain that it is your heart talking?"  
  
Cole tried to stay calm:  
  
"I love her, believe me. Yes, I lust for her, but I also love her with all my heart…"  
  
The Shaman sighed heavily:  
  
"And what about Noayak? You promised yourself to her. She had a right to expect you to fulfill this promise…"  
  
Cole felt every word painfully. It was nothing that he had not told himself many times on the way there.  
  
"I know that I should have done things differently. I wish that there was some way to make it right. But I can't marry Noayak. Not now that I know of Phoebe's love for me…"  
  
"And you are so certain that she loves you that much? This won't be easy for either of you; you have to know that. Are you so sure that you want to put her through the painful times that are sure to come for both of you?"  
  
Jolon couldn't answer this, and he sat heavily by the fire. The thought of their uncertain future weighed heavily on him.  
  
The old man sat beside him and they both stayed silent for a long moment. After a while, Cole asked:  
  
"What do you think they will do?"  
  
The Shaman hesitated:  
  
"I don't know." Then, he had to ask:  
  
"Do you really love her so much that you'd want to put yourself through this?"  
  
Cole turned toward him and simply replied:  
  
"More than life itself…"  
  
The Shaman sighed again:  
  
"Then, I'll try to help you. However, I can give you no guaranty. You know very well that they will be especially hard on you…"  
  
Cole turned back toward the fire:  
  
"I know."  
  
That night, he spent in meditation with the Shaman, as they appealed to the spirits for council. None was forthcoming, and in the end they simply waited together.  
  
Contrary to what he had expected however, the chief didn't send for him right away. Instead, he called the elders to his tent and they had some kind of meeting that lasted most of the day.  
  
The Elders were divided over this. On the one hand, they knew that his betrayal of the chief's daughter was a serious crime, and maybe even the proof that he was not trustworthy. But on the other hand, he had showed more promise than any trainee had in their memories. They had put great expectations in the young man and now, it was all being destroyed. The chief was outraged even more for the fact that he had been against keeping the white people in his village. However, they had a few compelling reasons to do so, as the Elders reminded him. At first, none of them saw the advantage of having them as prisoners. Yet, after a while, they had considered the possibility that the white men could come back for revenge. The prisoners could then be useful…  
  
The chief demanded at the very least reparations for his daughter's humiliation, and this they were ready to grant him. However the discussion prolonged as they debated on the manner in which he would get it.  
  
Phoebe didn't sleep at all that night. More than once, she had the impulse to go out and try to find him. Still, she knew that it was a bad idea. Reason told her that she had to wait for him to come back. The hard part had been to convince her heart of this.  
  
That morning, the Shaman got up to leave and Cole looked up at him curiously.  
  
"I have to see if I can do something. You have to stay here and wait for their summoning."  
  
Cole simply nodded and returned gloomily to his contemplation.  
  
However, the Shaman had another person to see before going to the council, and if Cole had known, he might have protested.  
  
The old man walked not toward the large tent, but toward the prisoners' one.  
  
There, he found Leo and Piper already out and preparing some food. They looked up toward him, at once with curiosity and a little fear as well.  
  
Leo stood up and came to stand in front of him, trying if possible to prevent more pain for Phoebe, as he knew the man was there for her…  
  
He had no idea how to say that to him of course, so he stood firmly in front of him, trying to convince him to turn around with his expression.  
  
However, the old man surprised him and Piper by addressing him in passable English.  
  
"Need to see the girl," he said hesitantly, obviously searching for his words. He had practiced long ago with the missionary and Cole, but now it was rusty, he realized.  
  
"I don't think that she needs any more aggravation from any of you."  
  
The Shaman didn't understand everything, but got the gist of it.  
  
"Just want talk, no more…"  
  
He looked stoically at Leo, and this one finally let him by, if with some hesitation.  
  
Piper almost put herself between him and the entrance as well, but Leo indicated to her that he would watch him, as he followed the old man inside.  
  
Phoebe looked up immediately, hoping to find Jolon there, so that seeing the old man instead was a complete surprise and soon after, this became apprehension.  
  
"What is it? Where is Jolon?" She asked anxiously, fearing the worst.  
  
She realized right away that he probably didn't understand a word and turned away, wondering why he had come in the first place.  
  
The Shaman was just observing her in silence, and she could feel his stare.  
  
Then, she was also amazed when he spoke in English:  
  
"You love him?" He suddenly asked. Phoebe reacted by turning to him with big round eyes.  
  
"You speak English?"  
  
He dismissed this with a shrug and asked again, more insistently:  
  
"You love him?"  
  
Phoebe answered firmly this time:  
  
"Yes I do, with all my heart."  
  
The Shaman turned to Leo:  
  
"Please need talk alone…"  
  
Leo frowned, but a look toward Phoebe told him that she agreed to it. Therefore, he reluctantly left the tent, but still stayed close by.  
  
The Shaman stayed silent for another long moment and soon Phoebe couldn't take it anymore:  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
The Shaman sadly nodded and waited a moment longer before answering.  
  
"Big problems. Never should have come…"  
  
Phoebe didn't feel like indulging anyone that day:  
  
"We didn't have a choice," she replied, almost angrily.  
  
The old man lifted his hand, as if to ward an attack.  
  
"No hate you, just see… All be better if not come… But now, too late for that. He never go with you, know that. He not go back to them…"  
  
Phoebe had trouble understanding what he meant.  
  
"What do you mean, go back?"  
  
The shaman looked at her with the expression of one that thinks he is being played.  
  
"Even if born white, him Indian now…" He said firmly.  
  
When he saw her dumbfounded expression, he understood that he had been mistaken. Ever since Jolon had told him about the night before, he had been convinced that she knew what he was, and would try to convince him to bring them back into their world.  
  
He had seen the look of disdain that they sometimes gave to the members of the tribe, and couldn't believe that she would have fallen for an Indian. Yet, now he could see that the news had come as a total shock to her.  
  
"This can't be, he would have told me…"  
  
"Maybe he don't want you to know."  
  
Phoebe reacted:  
  
"Why," she exclaimed incredulously.  
  
"Why wouldn't he want me to know that we are the same."  
  
"Because he Indian, inside," the Shaman added, putting his fist to his chest for emphasis.  
  
He knew that he had possibly made a big error in judgement, and his stare softened somewhat, even as Phoebe was still upset.  
  
"You really love son of mine?"  
  
Phoebe answered again, this time irritated by his lack of trust.  
  
"Yes I do. I told you already."  
  
He insisted again:  
  
"Still?"  
  
Phoebe sensed that he had guessed at her inner turmoil. "Why didn't he trust me enough to tell me," she was thinking. Her feelings for him were unbreakable yes, but it didn't keep her from being hurt by his omission.  
  
"Yes," Phoebe nevertheless reiterated. "Yes I still love him. It doesn't matter to me what race he was born into. I love the person that he is…"  
  
The Shaman looked at her with amazement.  
  
He had not expected her to be this way. In a way, it told him that he might have more to learn about these white people, who were not all as evil as he had imagined.  
  
"It will be hard," he uttered suddenly. "Very hard…"  
  
Phoebe had not really needed him to say this, as she had guessed herself. However, she could see that the old man had changed attitude toward her.  
  
"Can you help us," she ventured.  
  
"Don't know…Will try."  
  
He then smiled softly toward her, and she felt better for the first time since last night. He had done nothing yet, but she knew that Jolon trusted him, and she felt that if anyone could help them, it was this old man.  
  
He turned around slowly:  
  
"Better go…"  
  
Phoebe still needed to know:  
  
"Where is Jolon? Is he ok?"  
  
The Shaman just turned his head toward her:  
  
"He ok, for now…"  
  
"Thank you." Phoebe told him softly.  
  
He smiled again, and then went out of the tent.  
  
Phoebe sat back on the cot with mixed feelings. She was relieved that Jolon was ok, but she still couldn't understand why he didn't tell her about who he was.  
  
In the end however, she thought that they had had so little time, maybe he just would have told her eventually… Or probably, like the old man had said, he didn't feel like a white man anymore…  
  
Jolon was prepared for their summon, but when the young Cobena entered the tent, he still jumped. This one was looking down on him with a smirk, which told Jolon that he at least knew what had happened. Most probably along with many in the village… It had already started…  
  
"The Council wants to see you now."  
  
Jolon nodded affirmatively, if without enthusiasm, and got up, ready to follow the young warrior.  
  
However, this one stopped him and stared curiously:  
  
"I guess that now I understand why you didn't want us to go near them… You wanted them for yourself."  
  
Jolon had to repress the urge to hit him, as he knew that it only would make things worse. Instead, he stared at him severely and Cobena shrugged as he stepped ahead of Jolon. He didn't even look back to see if this one followed as it was unthinkable for him not to.  
  
Jolon took a deep breath and prepared to face his judgment.  
  
Entering the tent, he first saw the council, of which no one looked at him directly. He knew that it was a bad sign. His mentor was there as well, but his eyes expressed sorrow. Jolon's heart sunk.  
  
Then he saw her. Noayak was standing stoically beside her father. She stood so still and quiet, he almost might have thought that she had not seen him. However, when he met her stare, her eyes expressed a mix of anger, but also of regrets. It broke his heart that it had to come to this.  
  
The chief was the one who gave him the council's decision.  
  
His voice was hard and unforgiving:  
  
"Jolon, you have betrayed our tribe. We have given you a good life, a family, and you have turned against us… Now we do not have a choice but to punish this affront. The council has decided that only exile from the tribe would constitute a proper sentence."  
  
He stopped and turned away from Jolon, as if in his mind the young man had already left.  
  
So did everyone else except the Shaman.  
  
Jolon stood there, disbelieving, but not willing to let them know of the pain that they had caused him. He knew that they expected no less.  
  
After a moment, he simply left the tent without a word, knowing that the decision couldn't be appealed. He had read it clearly in his mentor's expression. 


	7. The Wild (Chapter 7)

The Wild  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Outside, Jolon stopped and looked around the village with infinite pain. He had expected a fight, maybe to lose his position as apprentice. He even could have dealt with a physical punishment. But this… This was too cruel.  
  
He felt more than heard the old man coming behind him. However, he didn't turn toward him, choosing to wait for him to talk instead. At any rate, Jolon was certain that the words would stay in his throat.  
  
The Shaman came beside him and his eyes were filled with sorrow. He had tried everything to prevent this, but the chief had been adamant. He didn't want the reminders of his daughter's humiliation anywhere near the village, which was the other reason that had brought the Shaman to him.  
  
"Jolon, I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything. They wouldn't listen to me."  
  
Jolon shrugged, half convinced that the old man agreed with them…  
  
In spite of his affection for the Shaman, he could not help being angry as well. Still, he just listened, as this one continued:  
  
"There is another matter that has been discussed at length, and it concerns the girl…"  
  
This got Jolon to react:  
  
"What did they say?" He asked anxiously.  
  
The old man sighed:  
  
"They… The chief wanted a severe punishment," he said, knowing that it was an understatement.  
  
"At least, I got them to reconsider." He added quickly. "They'll let her go with you, if you both promise never to come back…"  
  
Jolon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. In a way, it was a blessing that at least he wouldn't lose her, but he was saddened, as all he could offer now was a miserable and solitary life. Not at all what he had envisioned…  
  
"What about her family?"  
  
"They will stay here and serve the purpose for which we decided to keep them. The council still fears that the white men will come back before we move the village. Moreover, if, as I hope, we can go away before they arrive, I convinced the council to release them with the means to reach safety. Hopefully, either way they'll leave us, unharmed, in the spring."  
  
Jolon knew that they had decided to use the prisoners as leverage to prevent a fight that they were sure to lose. The Indians had considered that the debt of blood had been repaid, and wanted nothing more than to be left in peace from now on.  
  
However, they knew that the white men had long memories. They also had heard of tribes decimated by their attacks.  
  
The move was supposed to take place in the early spring, but they feared that this might be too late.  
  
"It was all bad timing," the old man seemed to be telling himself, even if talking aloud. If we could've moved before the winter came, they probably would never have found us, and maybe all this could have been avoided."  
  
Jolon protested:  
  
"I would have still loved her…"  
  
"But you might have let her go then. Maybe it would have been better for both of you."  
  
Jolon could not bring himself to think of this possibility. Not anymore… Nevertheless, he did feel bad that he caused this situation in great part. "Why didn't I listen?" He thought, remembering her words of the night before. If he had, he would never have proposed marriage to Noayak…  
  
Yet, it was too late to dwell on this, and after a nod to the Shaman, he headed with a heavy pace toward the prisoner's tent.  
  
All the way there, he thought that people were staring at him, and was convinced that they all knew by now.  
  
When Leo saw him coming, he wasn't any more thrilled to see Jolon than when the Shaman had visited. However, he knew that Phoebe was waiting for him, and didn't try to stop him.  
  
Piper came by Leo's side with a worried look. She had noticed the grim expression on the Indian's face, and her already shot nerves just got another jolt.  
  
"God, what is happening now?"  
  
Leo wrapped his arms around her, not at all reassured himself:  
  
"I really don't know."  
  
Paige was sitting by the small fire and looked just as nervous. It might have been somewhat selfish of them, they had thought, but they were not just worried about Phoebe. It was unnerving to think of what the Indians might do to all of them in light of what happened.  
  
Still, they couldn't do more than wait and see, as they had nowhere else to go…  
  
They heard Phoebe's exclamation of relief, and then nothing for a while.  
  
Inside Phoebe had almost gone mad with worry waiting for him, and she jumped in his arm as soon as he entered. He held her tight for a long moment, but when he said nothing she began worrying again.  
  
She pulled slightly away, looking up, and asked:  
  
"What is it? What did they say?"  
  
Jolon seemed to be searching for the way to explain and she knew that it was bad. He put his hands on her cheek, caressing her softly, but on his expression, she read an immense sorrow.  
  
"They are banishing me…" He finally uttered in a low voice.  
  
The fear returned at once, not the fear of death or hurt, but the fear of losing him:  
  
"No they can't, I can't lose you…"  
  
He put his hand on her lips, letting Phoebe know that it wasn't all.  
  
"You don't understand; they're banishing both of us."  
  
Phoebe frowned:  
  
"What?" She asked in an incredulous voice.  
  
"We are their prisoners, this doesn't make sense."  
  
Jolon sighed heavily:  
  
"It beats the alternative. The shaman got them to let you go…"  
  
Phoebe took a step back when she understood the implication.  
  
"What about my cousins and Leo?" She asked fearfully still.  
  
"They will stay here," he simply answered.  
  
"But it's not safe for them either…"  
  
"They won't hurt them, I promise. They need them…"  
  
"Why?"  
  
Jolon told her of the Council's reasoning and she looked at him in horror.  
  
"What will happen if they don't want to negotiate?"  
  
Jolon sighed again:  
  
"I hope that they will." He answered cryptically.  
  
Phoebe turned around, still very upset about this. She had even forgotten about his lie for the moment.  
  
Then a little hope crept in her:  
  
"Maybe…" She hesitated slightly, "maybe, we could go for help?"  
  
She could hear the irritation in his voice then:  
  
"And then what? Bring back the soldiers so that they could kill my people?"  
  
She turned to him, a little angry as well now, but he continued quickly:  
  
"With a little luck, the problem will never present itself, anyway. The tribe will move in the early spring, and the Shaman assured me that they would free your friends then…"  
  
"Unless they need them as hostages…" Phoebe replied, very upset.  
  
"Phoebe, my people are not monsters. They do not wish this more than you. And I will not betray them either."  
  
Phoebe still had to try:  
  
"But look at what they did to you. How can you still defend them after they banished you because you loved me?"  
  
He questioned curtly:  
  
"Would you risk your family's safety? Even if you felt that they had not been fair to you?"  
  
Phoebe had no reply to this, as she had to admit that he was right. She only then understood how truly painful it must have been for him.  
  
She came back toward Jolon:  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
He didn't react as she had hoped however. Instead, he was still standing very stiffly, and she wondered if she had not said something that he considered irreparable.  
  
"Jolon, I'm sorry," she repeated pleadingly, as she brought her hand to his cheek and touched it lightly, trying to appease him.  
  
He finally reacted, but said something unexpected:  
  
"I'll bring you back to your family in the spring. You won't have to worry until then; I'll keep you safe…"  
  
"What? No! I won't leave you."  
  
He turned away from her, and she could feel his pain clearly then:  
  
"I know what you think. That now, we could live with your people. That won't happen. I may not be a part of this tribe anymore, but I'm not of your world either. I must have been crazy to think that you would want to stay."  
  
This hurt Phoebe more because in a way, he was right. She had been hoping that they could return to her world… Even more so now that he wasn't part of them anymore. Seeing his reaction however, she thought better of mentioning what she knew of his origins…  
  
"While it is true that I thought about it…" she began in a hesitating voice, "I made the decision to be with you, wherever you'll be. I'm not going to change my mind. I won't leave you…" She added with more conviction.  
  
Jolon wanted to believe this but couldn't quite yet:  
  
"You might not say this after a few months of this life."  
  
"Do you think me so fickle or so weak, that I would give up on us at the first sign of trouble? You don't know me very well if you believe that."  
  
When he still didn't turn back toward her, she had an unpleasant thought, and couldn't help asking about it:  
  
"Unless, it's you who's regretting…?"  
  
This got Jolon's attention:  
  
"I don't regret anything that happened between us. Not now, not ever." He answered forcefully, looking back at her.  
  
Relief washed over her and she smiled softly:  
  
"Then we will be fine…"  
  
He frowned, uncertain if she truly meant it:  
  
"You know that it will be difficult, don't you?"  
  
She leaned against him, and wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"As long as you love me, I can get through anything."  
  
"Really?" He asked, even as he hugged her back.  
  
She looked up and in her eyes, he saw the answer clearly.  
  
"I love you," she whispered.  
  
He responded by kissing her with an intense passion, forgetting all about what brought them to this point. His caresses soon became more demanding, his hand moving down her back, already trying to undress her, but she stopped him, suddenly reminded of her family's presence just outside.  
  
He reluctantly pulled away, as she stroked his face:  
  
"Soon…"  
  
` It also reminded them painfully that they wouldn't have to worry about other people then. However, Phoebe didn't want to dwell on this. As difficult as it might be, she knew that the sooner they had left this place, the safer it would be for both of them, and most probably for her family as well.  
  
"I have to say goodbye," she added.  
  
Jolon nodded without a word, as she moved away. His heart was still racing and he found it difficult to let her go. He knew better however than to go with her. They needed this moment among themselves and he waited for her.  
  
Phoebe got out of the tent and her cousins came to her right away, both with very worried expressions.  
  
Piper questioned nervously:  
  
"What's going on, Phoebe?"  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath:  
  
"I have to go…"  
  
"Go? Go where?"  
  
"They are letting me go with Jolon."  
  
Paige interjected:  
  
"What about us?"  
  
Phoebe lowered her eyes:  
  
"You're staying."  
  
Her cousins seemed about to protest with good reasons, but she quickly continued:  
  
"You'll be fine, they wish you no harm. They just don't want me or Jolon around here anymore."  
  
She thought better than telling them of the alternative, again thinking that some truths were better left untold. She hoped however, that her next words would prove to be true:  
  
"Jolon assures me that they will let you go in the spring…"  
  
"What about you?" Piper still asked.  
  
"I will not be going back with you." Piper again tried to protest, but Phoebe lifted her hand to stop her:  
  
"Just tell my parents when you see them, that I'm fine and happy. They should just believe that and not worry."  
  
"How could they not worry? What got into you? You can't seriously envision never to go back home?"  
  
Phoebe smiled sadly to her cousin:  
  
"I am home Piper. Wherever he will be, I will make my home with him."  
  
Piper observed her cousin for a sign of doubt in her expression, but she could find none.  
  
"You really mean it?" She questioned.  
  
"Yes I do. I don't want you to worry about me. I'll be ok as long as he is with me. Stay safe, and when the time comes, go home."  
  
Paige came to her as well:  
  
"Phoebe?"  
  
Phoebe simply hugged her young cousin, the emotion preventing her from saying anything more. She hugged Piper and Leo as well, and then she turned back toward the tent to gather her belongings.  
  
Soon, she was ready. Jolon and her said one last goodbye to her tearful family, before going to his tent, where he took only what he deemed necessary. It wasn't much, but Phoebe trusted that he knew what he was doing.  
  
No one else came to see them off, and they left the village with apprehension, but confident that together they could overcome anything…  
  
Paul, a troop of soldiers and many of the trappers, whom had been after the Indians in the fall, were now on their way there. The thaw had not quite settled yet, but a lot of convincing on Paul's part had finally budged the soldiers. They now believed that they could safely cross the mountains. It had been over three months now, and for Paul it had been the longest winter he had ever lived through. He had been praying daily with Prue for the safe return of their daughter. The soldiers were increasingly skeptical about her survival, but her parents would not be deterred. They had to know for sure.  
  
When they arrived where all of this had begun, his heart sunk at the sight of the simple graves. It reminded him painfully that his chances of finding his daughter alive were thin at best. Yet, he wasn't ready to give up. The soldiers announced that they intended to setup camp not far from here, and send a scout ahead.  
  
Paul got upset at the delay, but they argued that it was for all their safety. There was still the possibility that the trail would be impracticable and they had to be sure about it before going any further.  
  
The scout returned the next evening with good news. The snow was packed and hard because of the low temperature. He was convinced that the horses could go through as well. The sergeant then announced that they would depart the next morning, to Paul's relief.  
  
He couldn't stand the wait any longer, and didn't even want to let himself imagine what it must have been for Phoebe…  
  
Phoebe was slowly getting used to their new situation. The first few days of their exile, Jolon had spent teaching her basic survival skills. It had been an interesting experience for her until she had realized that he must have had a good reason for wanting to do this so soon:  
  
"What is the hurry?" She had asked anxiously.  
  
"Nothing to worry about," Jolon had answered reassuringly, taking her in his arms for emphasis. It's simply that I will have to leave you on occasions for hunting. The game is becoming rare in these parts, particular this time of year. I want to be sure that you will be ok during that time."  
  
At first, they had setup camp in a cave that he had known about. This had seemed even worse than the tent to Phoebe, but he assured her that soon they would have a place of their own.  
  
"As soon as I can go hunting that is…"  
  
That stopped her complaining, since she had not been very enthusiastic about him leaving her alone.  
  
The days were grueling at first, while she helped him set up traps, and prepare the food that they gathered around in the forest. She learned a lot about what was edible or not. Phoebe was amazed at the variety of plants that they could use even now. He told her how much she would love the summer time if she thought this to be abundance.  
  
The nights however, were magical to her. Spending them in his arms, she felt safe and content as she had never felt in her entire life. Not even compared to the protected and quiet life that she had led at home.  
  
She couldn't help thinking of her family often however, and it put a damper on her happiness sometimes. She could also see how much he missed his. She found him often lost in contemplation, looking back the way they had come wistfully. The first few times that he left her alone, she even feared that he might have gone back, even if he knew that it was forbidden. He always came back however, and soon her doubts vanished. Their next task had been to build a tent for themselves with what he brought back from the hunt and his gatherings. This proved to be a challenge for Phoebe, who had never been very good at sowing. With his help, she at least managed to do a passable job, and soon they had a place to call their own.  
  
It was modest, but the work that she had put in it gave her an immense sense of pride. Jolon found it very amusing to see her going in and out of the tent, admiring her work that first night.  
  
"Come here," Jolon had said at last from inside.  
  
"It's much better to be in it than looking at it," he had added teasingly.  
  
She re-entered the tent to find that he had already undressed and lied on their bed, lifting the blanket invitingly. She was amused, but feigned annoyance.  
  
"What? You don't think that I did a great job? Why don't you admire my work as well?" Phoebe said, barely able to contain the amused smile that she felt coming.  
  
He dropped the blanket and lied back, just looking at her suggestively:  
  
"In truth, I'd much rather admire you…"  
  
This time the smile came all the way, as she undressed shamelessly for him. In the back of her mind, she thought of what her mother would think about her lack of modesty, but with him, she felt free of any sort of conventions.  
  
She ran to him then, molding herself against him, and enjoying feeling his already obvious arousal. Their passion had not diminished in the least even in the face of all the hardship they had endured. He brought her face close to his, and then covered her lips with his hungrily.  
  
However, she was in a teasing mood and pulled away with a mocking smile.  
  
"Oh and there I thought that we could simply sleep tonight…"  
  
Jolon smiled at her obvious playful attitude. But then, he pushed her on her back pinning her down, as she laughed frankly, albeit with a little tremor when he started depositing little teasing kisses on her neck, then her breasts, still pinning her down with his arms and legs. Her laughter died down as she started taking shallow breaths, the excitement mounting in her like a wave.  
  
She whispered:  
  
"Jolon…"  
  
Her languorous tone of voice excited him even more, as he came back up toward her face and again kissed her deeply. To which she responded with the same ardor. He let go of her arms and started caressing her sides, descending slowly toward her hips, as she lifted them toward him invitingly.  
  
She put her hands on his back, pulling him even tighter against her.  
  
Then, she let her hands slide down his muscular body, enjoying touching him as much as feeling his touch on her. His kiss became more wanting and soon their communion was complete as she once more gave herself to him completely. When they were spent, he still lay besides her, caressing her side lovingly while they just looked in each other's eyes. In these moments of complete happiness, Phoebe could forget about the dangers and their isolation, because she felt as safe and content as one could be.  
  
After a while, however, she had started to feel the cold and shivered. He noticed it and realized that the fire was dying. He bent toward her, covering her with one of the skins they had tanned together to use as blankets. Remembering how hard she had worked on it brought a smile to his lips.  
  
Then, he got up and Phoebe called to him:  
  
"Hey you're not going out like that?" She exclaimed, indicating his undressed state.  
  
Jolon giggled:  
  
"We Indians have warmer blood than you. I'll be…"  
  
The look on her face stopped him short. Suddenly, he saw something akin to disappointment in her. Not at all what he had expected…  
  
"What?" He asked softly, as he was coming back toward her.  
  
Phoebe looked away:  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Nevertheless, he knew that there was something for she wasn't in the habit of avoiding his questions. At least, not anymore…  
  
"I know there's something. Were you thinking of your family?"  
  
Phoebe bit her lips but didn't turn to him.  
  
For all the time that they had been out there, she had been wondering how to talk to him about the Shaman's revelations. At first, she had simply worried about him getting angry, and had postponed the talk. Then, she had somehow realized that he truly didn't think of himself as white.  
  
However, for some reason that comment of his had made her uncomfortable. As if it reminded her that he was still keeping things from her.  
  
She was mostly upset at herself for reacting to this, but she couldn't help wondering. If Jolon kept something so important from her, what else might he not have told her?  
  
Jolon was becoming more upset at her attitude by the moment:  
  
"Please, I thought that we weren't supposed to let anything come between us anymore. What's wrong?"  
  
Phoebe couldn't help the next comment:  
  
"How can you say that? You're the one who kept something from me all this time…"  
  
He was genuinely surprised then:  
  
"Phoebe! I didn't keep anything from you. What are you talking about?"  
  
She then blurted it out:  
  
"Why didn't you trust me enough to tell me that you're white? Is that because you're ashamed of it? And if yes, are you ashamed of me, deep down?"  
  
The change in his attitude was immediately apparent.  
  
His eyes took the same angry coldness that she had only seen before they had declared their love for each other. She moved away instinctively:  
  
"Who told you that?" He asked icily.  
  
Phoebe hesitated and it seemed to anger him even more:  
  
"How long have you known? Was that from the start? Is that why you came with me? Because I wasn't like them in your mind…?"  
  
She took a deep breath, and then protested vehemently:  
  
"No! Of course not! How can you say that? I would've loved you no matter what, you have to know that."  
  
He ignored her protestations however, and questioned again, moving toward her:  
  
"How long have you known? Who told you?"  
  
Suddenly, she forgot about her worries and became angry as well:  
  
"Your father, or should I say your step father, told me; the day we left the village, if you have to know. And I think that I would've deserved to hear it from you…"  
  
He seemed about to reply but instead, he turned around, picked up his clothes and headed out.  
  
Phoebe felt this as worse than if he had continued the argument:  
  
"That's it, run. That's how you react to every problem anyway." She exclaimed in a much angrier tone of voice than she had even intended.  
  
She regretted it immediately, but it was too late.  
  
He stopped only an instant, as if he was going to turn back, but then, he left without another word.  
  
Phoebe suddenly felt more alone than ever before. For the first time since they had left the village, she sensed the isolation that they were living in, and it was an unpleasant sensation. When the anger receded, she started sobbing softly. She waited for hours, hoping that he would return after he cooled off, but he didn't come back until the next afternoon. Even then, he threw the game he had caught next to her, and otherwise ignored her completely.  
  
"Jolon?" Phoebe tried, but he simply entered the tent without answering.  
  
His silence lasted for the next three days, as he was also going away for hours at a time, without ever saying where. At night, he slept with her in the tent but still ignored her. She was appalled, and felt lost. However, after her first attempt at talking to him, she decided to wait for him to make the first move.  
  
That third morning, she woke up feeling horrible. It might not have been much of a change from the last three mornings, if it hadn't been for the nausea that took her over from the moment she got up. She ran out of the tent, barely making it. Dejectedly, she thought to herself that now she might get horribly sick and that he wouldn't even notice. However, she had been wrong about this. Jolon was angrier with himself than with her by then. At first, he had felt betrayed, convinced as he was that she didn't accept him for what he was now. He knew what he was, and white wasn't it. No matter where or what he had been born, he was an Indian, and if she couldn't accept that, then it would be over between them. After the first two days of this however, he found himself regretting his outburst. Still, he didn't know how to apologize to her.  
  
The last night had been painful, as only his pride had kept him from begging her for forgiveness. He wanted so much to return to the wonderful days where they had not been so divided. He had not slept at all that night and saw her running out, noticing her sickly complexion. Worry finally overcame his pride, and he ran out to her.  
  
She was still bending over, heaving painfully and he feared that she had caught something bad. Now his shame was complete as he felt that he had doubly failed her. Jolon went to her, but couldn't say anything. She finally noticed that he was there and looked up in surprise.  
  
"What?" She asked, now convince that she must have done something wrong again. She wasn't in the mood to have another argument.  
  
The abrupt question took him aback and he felt it like a slap. However, by now he knew that he somewhat deserved it. He was still very worried about her and just stood there, wondering what he could say to make things better.  
  
Phoebe noticed the way he bit his lower lip, as she had seen him do often when he was unsure about something. Somehow, she sensed that things had changed again and she asked in a softer voice:  
  
"What is it?"  
  
She could read the worry in his eyes and dared hope at last. She moved toward him and he watched her warily.  
  
Then he managed to ask:  
  
"Are you sick?"  
  
"It's nothing, just stomach flu, don't worry."  
  
She moved closer and he blurted out:  
  
"I'm so sorry, I… I wasn't fair to you. If something happened to you…"  
  
She threw herself in his arms and the relief he felt then made him realize how much of an idiot he had been. Feeling her against him, he knew that home was with her. He held on tight to her, and even if she still felt very bad, nothing could make her pull away at this point.  
  
"Nothing will happen to me as long as you're with me."  
  
However, the next few mornings proved to be just as unpleasant, if not worse, until Phoebe realized that she wasn't exactly sick after all…  
  
She had been careful not to worry him about it, mostly sneaking out when the wave of nausea came, so that he was convinced that it had not happened again. However, when she figured out the true reason for her malaise, she was overjoyed and couldn't wait to tell him. That morning, she waited anxiously for him to come out of the tent. Unfortunately, she would not get the chance… It had been well over a month since they had left the village behind, but that morning, he woke up from an awful nightmare, certain that it had been a vision, and knew that it was time to go home.  
  
Phoebe saw his horrified stare when he came out and a sense of dread invaded her. Putting aside her news, she asked:  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"We have to go back, now!"  
  
"But I thought that they had banned us forever…"  
  
"If we don't go now, it'll be too late to help your cousin and my people…"  
  
Phoebe came closer suddenly alerted:  
  
"What did you see," she asked anxiously.  
  
"I'll explain to you on the way, there's no time to lose…"  
  
Phoebe knew that he wouldn't do this unless there was a very good reason, so she followed him on the trail that would bring them back to the village and, she thought fearfully, to whatever awaited them there…  
  
In the village, the situation had become very difficult for her family. The villagers were more hostile to them than ever. None had harmed them as promised, but they knew that they resented them for what happened, in addition to what they represented.  
  
However, if their hostility was bad, Paige found that their interest was even worse… Ever since the day Phoebe had left, she had noticed a young man watching her regularly. He seemed to be emboldening himself more every day. Coming closer, and even smiling suggestively at her... She had come to the point where she feared being alone. It was simply that the young man was the same one who had nearly molested her that day, long before, when they were captured... She had managed to stay with Piper and Leo most of the time until now, which was just about a month and a half after Phoebe left… However, that day, they had taken a stroll on their own, seeking some privacy, as she had not told them of her fears.  
  
Cobena saw his occasion and took it.  
  
Ever since the white women had been there, he had wanted to get closer and get a taste of them, literally. However, while Jolon was there, this one had been watching over them closely. Since he had left, the council had still warned against harming them. Nevertheless, Cobena rationalized this by thinking that he wasn't going to harm her. Only take what he felt was his due. In his mind, Jolon must have kept the white women for himself, and now that he was gone, Cobena thought that he was entitled to have his way with them as well. Particularly the young one, which he had fancied from the start… Frustration had silenced all decency in him, and whatever it took, today she would be his…  
  
Paige had stayed in the tent most of the day, but Leo and Piper's prolonged absence forced her to go get water by herself. She looked fearfully around before taking the path down to the waterhole. Now she regretted bitterly having waited so long as no one was around when she arrived. She had hoped that some of the women would still be there, but it was almost dinnertime, and they were all obviously busy elsewhere. She knew that her sister and Leo needed some time alone badly, but she still resented them for leaving her so exposed. She was doing as fast as she could when a sudden movement behind her paralyzed her. She held her breath, slowly turning around. She hoped that it was only some animal in the underbrush but she couldn't see anything. She was almost laughing at herself, thinking that she had imagined it, when she turned back toward the trail and saw him there. He was very close already. She couldn't believe that he had approached her so quickly. She took a few steps back, and he moved toward her as she did.  
  
"Stay away from me," she pleaded fearfully. However, it seemed only to amuse him. He was blocking her way back to the village and after a moment of hesitation, she turned and ran in the opposite direction. She didn't even dare look back as she entered the forest, ignoring the branches hitting her face and arms as she went. She tried to listen for signs of his approach, expecting him to jump on her at any moment.  
  
Cobena saw her running and it excited him even more. She was doing exactly what he wanted, as she was getting further from the village. He decided that he would only follow her from afar, until he was certain that no one could hear her screams…  
  
Paige finally dared looking back and she saw him a ways behind her. He didn't seem in any hurry, as if he was certain that he would catch up with her, and she started to fear that he would, as her lungs were burning from the effort. She could barely feel her legs anymore, so tired she was, and only then did she realize how far they were from the village.  
  
In a panic, she took a beeline and tried to turn back while going around him, but he saw her and started faster toward Paige. Soon she found him again facing her; but this time he didn't let her go away. He grabbed her arm hard and pulled her to him. Paige tried to kick him, but then he threw her to the ground and pulled a knife, which he put to her throat. He said something in Indian that she didn't quite understand, but she was convinced that it had been a threat. Again, fear paralyzed her, as she let him run his hand on her chest roughly. He then got a hold of the blouse opening and pulled hard, exposing her to him. The smile of triumph that formed on his lips gave Paige a chill that had nothing to do with the weather. Holding the knife against her throat, he put his hand on her thigh and pushed the skirt until he had her completely exposed. Paige could only cry in pain and shame as he took off his own clothes and lay on her heavily. A wave of nausea washed over her as he grabbed her most intimate part and tightened his grip until she screamed in pain. This time she understood what he said and almost vomited then and there.  
  
"You like it you bitch, tell me you like it…"  
  
He put the knife closer to her throat, and she could feel the blade cutting in her skin. He repeated angrily:  
  
"Tell me you like it!"  
  
She was about to cave in, out of abject terror, when she felt him being pulled away from her violently. She immediately got up, trying her best to cover herself, but convinced that no amount of clothing would ever make her feel safe in her body anymore. Then she dared looking back and saw Jolon planting a knife in the young warrior's chest. The former apprentice's face was a mask of rage. When he was certain that the man was dead, he turned toward her, but she couldn't let him near her. Instead she turned around and ran, again in the wrong direction. He tried to call to her but she ignored him. However, not long after this, the weight of the emotions and her exhaustion got the best of her and she let herself down to the cold forest floor. There she cried and screamed in frustration and despair, until her cousin called to her.  
  
Phoebe had not been able to keep up with Jolon, as he had become increasingly worried, the closer they were coming to the spot he had seen in his dream. When he had seen Paige running away, he had hesitated, not really knowing what he could do to reassure her. Thus, he watched the way she left, and then waited for Phoebe. After he indicated the way she had left to Phoebe, this one found her cousin sitting on the ground. Her blouse was torn apart and she had a crazy look on her face. It broke her heart to see her like this. They had been too late to prevent the worst. She called to her again, moving toward her cautiously. She was afraid to scare her away again. However, Paige had no strength left in her, and she let her cousin come closer without reacting. After a moment of hesitation, she threw herself in Phoebe's arms and cried anew.  
  
Phoebe just held her in silence for a long while.  
  
During that time, Cole had turned back toward the village, worried that he would be too late to prevent the other premonition as well…  
  
The crossing had gone well, and Paul, along with the soldiers and the trappers, were now confident that they could find the guilty tribe soon, or at least that was what they told an anxious Paul. The trappers indicated to them the direction that they had been searching in, and the soldiers took the opposite one, convinced that this was the way to the village. Eventually, an Indian scout that they had brought along indicated a vague trail that entered the thick woods at the foot of the mountain. He assured them that it was most certainly a man made one, even though, the soldiers were skeptical. However, short of a better alternative, they headed down the path… 


	8. The Wild (Chapter 8)

The Wild  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Piper and Leo had fallen asleep after their afternoon of lovemaking. For the last month, they had been using the tent where they had found Phoebe and Jolon to get some privacy. However, Piper was nervous about going there in the middle of the day, and her sleep was agitated.  
  
She opened her eyes, suddenly alerted. Still, when straining to hear what had awakened her, she heard nothing besides the usual noises of the forest. An intense malaise built inside her nevertheless, at this point. She had the distinct impression that something very bad had happened, but no idea on what it was.  
  
She tried to shake Leo awake.  
  
"Leo!"  
  
He moaned, but slept on. Piper almost gave up on waking him up, but the malaise seemed only to intensify, so she called louder:  
  
"Leo, please wake up!"  
  
Leo opened his eyes reluctantly and pulled her toward him.  
  
"Come on sweetie, nobody is coming," he said, supposing that it was her usual worry about being discovered in an embarrassing situation.  
  
"That's not why I woke you up. I have a bad feeling…"  
  
Leo was still not convinced:  
  
"You know how nervous you get. This is probably why. Just try to relax. The Indians really don't care too much about what we are doing here anyway…"  
  
He seemed about to go back to sleep at this. The afternoon had been somewhat draining, but Piper would not let him… She insisted…  
  
"Come on Leo. We have to go back; I fear that something terrible happened…"  
  
Leo looked up with a frown:  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"I wish I knew, but I can't ignore that. Please, will you?"  
  
Leo smiled:  
  
"Alright, if you really believe this, it doesn't hurt to go have a look…"  
  
They dressed up quickly, as Piper became more impatient for every moment.  
  
In the end, her anxiety transferred to Leo as well, and they both hurried out…  
  
Phoebe had managed to get Paige to walk back and they were making their way to the village. She had not said a single word, but at least she was not hysterical anymore. It gave Phoebe some time to think about what awaited them. And also, to think back about all that Jolon told her of his people with an unpleasant hindsight.  
  
For all the time that they had spent in exile, they had the occasion to talk a lot. Phoebe told him about her former life and Jolon talked about his tribe and what they were all about… He had certainly convinced her until now that they were not as bad as she had thought at first. He had even managed to convince her of Noayak's good nature. In spite of what had happened, he could not bring himself to hate her. For Phoebe, it was to his credit that he still could forgive this from her. However, at first she had been reluctant to do the same.  
  
Eventually, he had told her how much they had shared, and that he was certain that she must have regretted her action against them. He told her how happy going she used to be, and managed to make Phoebe like her. Which was not a small feat considering that when he had started talking, she had immediately been atrociously jealous. Of course, she trusted that he loved her, but she had not shared nearly as much as the Indian girl with him. When she reminded him of this, he had looked at her very seriously:  
  
"Noayak has shared a lot with me, that's true, but I feel like I have known you forever. A feeling that I never had with anyone, not even her."  
  
Phoebe had felt an intense relief, not so much at his words, but more at the way he had looked at her. The love that he had for her was written all over his face, and simply reflected her own feelings for him.  
  
He had also talked about the Shaman, for whom he had a great affection, and then of many more among the villagers, whom he all knew by name. By now, she almost felt like she knew them too. Therefore, what had just happened to Paige was even more painful to her. She felt this as a personal affront. As if friends of her had betrayed her trust… As much as she wanted to believe that the monster had been an exception, it was difficult not to generalize. Still, all the way to the village, she forced herself to remember all the good things Jolon had told her about them…  
  
The scout had spotted the man who was supposed to warn of any arrival, and knocked him out before he could sound the alarm. That is how the soldiers came very close to the village before anyone realized that they were there.  
  
Immediately, the soldiers shouldered their guns and spread out. As soon as they did, the chief and the braves took position at the center of the village, while cursing themselves for their lack of vigilance.  
  
The chief immediately dispatched one of his men to go fetch the prisoners. This one soon came back with a very worried look about him.  
  
"They're no where to be found!"  
  
The chief turned to him with an incredulous expression:  
  
"Wasn't there someone looking out for them?"  
  
Another of the young braves answered sheepishly:  
  
"They had been so quiet; we did not really think that it was necessary to watch them so closely…"  
  
Right then, the chief's anxiety went up noticeably as he turned back toward the soldiers, who were now watching them cautiously, obviously ready to attack.  
  
Two men stepped ahead however, with their guns pointing to the ground, and the chief signaled to the braves to stand down. "Who knows," he thought, "maybe we can still end this peacefully?"  
  
He started toward them as well.  
  
The Indian scout had come along with the sergeant and they were now close enough to talk normally. Both sides stopped at this point, measuring each other silently.  
  
The sergeant was the first to talk, addressing his scout so that he would, hopefully, be able to translate for the chief:  
  
"Ask him what he knows about the white people who disappeared last fall." He began simply, to open the discussion.  
  
They still had to decide what they would do about the Indians themselves. The trappers had been left a ways behind, as they were demanding revenge on the spot.  
  
Paul was still among the soldiers, and watched anxiously not only the chief, but also the other people behind him, searching the crowd for a sign of his daughter.  
  
The chief took a moment before answering, as he wondered how he would explain if for some reason the prisoners had escaped at the most inopportune moment.  
  
Then he said:  
  
"We might know where they are…"  
  
The sergeant insisted as soon as the translation was complete:  
  
"Tell him to show us to them immediately, or else…"  
  
The chief did not seem impressed by the threat; but then again, the sergeant had some dealings with Indians before, and knew better than to trust their poker face.  
  
"Tell him that we know he took prisoners, and we won't leave until he has produced them."  
  
The chief listened to the scout but did not really need the translation, as he was perfectly able to read the soldier's expression.  
  
"I need to talk to the council," he said, trying to give himself more time.  
  
The sergeant seemed impatient, but agreed anyway. He turned back and walked quickly toward his company. Paul eyed him expectantly, but he simply indicated for him to be patient. Paul felt that he had been more than patient enough… Nevertheless, he forced himself to wait a little longer, still watching the village anxiously in the hope to see Phoebe or her cousins.  
  
Cole had arrived at the edge of the village a while ago, to find that his premonition had been unfortunately too real. Of course, after what had happened in the woods, he had very little doubts. He watched the exchange and when he saw the chief coming back, he hoped that it was a good sign, but he could not take any chances. Not after what happened…He took a deep breath and got out in the open.  
  
The chief was the first to notice him on his way back, and he became even more upset at this.  
  
Cole hurried toward him from the opposite side to the soldiers' position.  
  
The chief was about to turn his back to him, but the Shaman came forward and implored him to listen. He had the feeling that Jolon would not be coming back unless there was a compelling reason to do so.  
  
"Chief, please listen to me," Jolon began, "I saw this tribe being destroyed in a vision. The soldiers will not accept to negotiate with you…"  
  
The chief was loath to respond, so the Shaman did for him:  
  
"What makes you think that they won't care about the wellbeing of the hostages?"  
  
Jolon's sad expression worried the Shaman and the Chief in turn.  
  
"I'm afraid that this is no longer an option. The white men will not be forgiving when they find out what happened to the girl. I tried to prevent it but I was too late…"  
  
The Shaman questioned him:  
  
"What are you talking about? The prisoners have been very well treated, even if they were responsible for your…"  
  
He could not finish this, as he knew that the chief did not need a reminder of Jolon's assumed betrayal…  
  
Jolon did not like to be the bearer of such terrible news, but he had no choice:  
  
"One of the remaining girls has just been raped…"  
  
The chief looked at him with the most incredulous expression. The braves had all been warned against fraternizing with the prisoners, let alone hurt them. And even so, he couldn't believe that one of his people would have sunk so low.  
  
"That's impossible. She must have encouraged him… Who is supposed to have done that?"  
  
Jolon turned directly toward him:  
  
"It was Cobena, and I saw him with my own eyes, just before I killed him…" He said firmly, warding any protest. "However, I doubt that the soldiers will be forgiving, even if she has been avenged."  
  
The chief scrutinized him, as if trying to find a crack in his story. Nevertheless, he had to conclude that this was true…  
  
He turned halfway in the direction the soldier had gone with a very worried expression.  
  
Jolon offered:  
  
"Maybe, I could try talking to them, in their own language. Maybe…"  
  
He hesitated lengthily.  
  
"Maybe, I could use what I am to make them listen…"  
  
The chief was not quite convinced yet. Even more so that he was still angry with Jolon.  
  
He offered that they should discuss this with the council first, as the white man had allowed that much.  
  
"And where is the girl?" The chief asked with an unusually anxious expression.  
  
"I'm not sure," Jolon had to answer. "She ran away… But Phoebe went after her."  
  
The chief winced at the mention of Phoebe, but said nothing and took the direction of his tent, soon followed by the Elders.  
  
Paul was becoming increasingly impatient. All this talk was not what he had hoped for… Now that they were here, he wanted to know at last…  
  
The soldiers were concentrating on watching the villagers closely, and did not notice when he started moving away from them. He walked cautiously; not wanting to alert either side, but nothing could keep him from trying to find his daughter.  
  
He was a man of action that had found himself at the mercy of other people's decisions. "No more," he told himself, as he was closing in on the village.  
  
He noticed the tall Indian, standing in the public place and talking to the chief. It was obvious, even from a distance that the conversation was tense. This did not reassure Paul in the least, as he finally got behind the first tent. No one was paying attention to him, as both sides were more worried of the ones with weapons. Therefore, he emboldened himself and started looking inside a few tents and around the village, hoping to find the girls. That is how he saw them first.  
  
Phoebe was still lost in thoughts when they got near to the village. However, seeing it now, she was worried about entering it…  
  
There was no way for her to know what would be the people's reaction there. She wished that Jolon had stayed with her, and decided to wait until she saw him before she went in. So that instead of going straight toward the village, she and Paige started walking around it until she stopped short, suddenly aware that the soldiers were already here.  
  
Only seconds later, she heard the familiar voice of her father calling to her almost crazily. She could not believe that he was there, after all this time. So much so that she did not go to him, even when he started running toward them. However, by then the soldiers as much as the warriors, had become aware of his, and most importantly of the girls' presence near the village. Both groups converged toward them, as Jolon realized what was happening as well, and started toward them in turn.  
  
Paul froze when he managed to get a better look at Paige, immediately noticing the appearance of his niece with a horrified stare. Paige was a pain to look at, indeed. Her eyes were red and swollen from the crying. Her clothes torn in many places… It was immediately apparent that she had been molested, and the rage mounted in him at the thought of it, but also of what might have happened to his own daughter.  
  
Phoebe saw the change in her father's attitude and her anxiety level grew.  
  
She was angry with the man who hurt Paige, yes, but by now, she knew that not everyone there should be held responsible for it. She tried to tell him just that:  
  
"Daddy, please it's not what you think. We were not…"  
  
He did not give her a chance to finish:  
  
"Paige, oh my god, what did they do to you," he said, even as he got to them and hugged both of them tight, not noticing Phoebe's reluctance.  
  
"Oh Phoebe, we were so worried. What did those monsters do to you?"  
  
He had tears of rage in his eyes, and Phoebe could not find the words fast enough, as the emotion choked her. The first ones to arrive were the warriors, and they tried to grab Paige. Paul reacted instinctively and hit the first one. Then another came and threatened him with a knife. That was enough for the soldiers, who had also seen Paige and understood the implication. They were not about to allow her to be taken again.  
  
Piper and Leo were just about to re-enter the village, when they saw the commotion and stood back. The loud noise of gunshots was then heard, and Leo pulled Piper in the underbrush, pushing her to the ground protectively, even as she protested vehemently. Phoebe saw Jolon coming and she panicked:  
  
"Stop, please stop." She screamed around. However, there was no stopping it. The warriors gave up on Paige, and instead ran toward the soldiers, determined to protect the village.  
  
Phoebe moved away from her father, as he screamed at her to stay behind. Nevertheless, she went on, determined to rejoin with Jolon. This one hesitated slightly. He was tempted to go help his brothers, but felt that this fight was mostly baseless. He was devastated that he could not prevent this horror. He felt that he had to do something, and not waiting for Phoebe, he started toward the fighters.  
  
"Stop, you have to stop," he screamed in turn, at the top of his lungs.  
  
He halted only mere feet from the battleground, and screamed many times in both languages, trying to get someone's attention. It was no use, as the gunshots and the clamors from the fight covered his voice completely. Phoebe had seen his movement and changed direction to follow him, forgetting all about the risk to herself. She was calling to Jolon now, running to him under the horrified stare of her father, who could not understand why she would put herself in harm's way.  
  
Jolon did not quite hear her calls, but he somehow felt it because he turned toward her as she was almost by his side. The warriors were already trying to retreat, as the death toll was climbing rapidly. At this point, Phoebe and Jolon ended up among them. In that instant, everything went wrong. A stray bullet hit her on the left shoulder and the shock startled her. At first, she felt no pain… Just an intense surprise… However, the look on Jolon's face told her that she had been hit, long before she felt it. She put her hand to her shoulder, thinking that she might just have been grazed, and looked back at it to find it bloody.  
  
She had barely time to react to this before she saw the ground coming fast toward her, as a wave of dizziness washed over her. This time, she heard Jolon distinctly calling to her in the sudden silence. A soldier had noticed her falling, and called nervously to the others, whom had stopped shooting, giving the chance to the remaining braves to retreat toward the village. This, while many of their number lied dead or wounded on the ground. Jolon let out an agonizing scream before running to her and throwing himself to the ground by her side. He was oblivious to the stares, as he took her by the shoulders trying to revive her. Her breath was now shallow and laborious, but she managed to look up at him, trying to smile reassuringly.  
  
"Please Phoebe, you can't leave me; stay with me, please," he was saying, as she seemed to come in and out of consciousness in his arms.  
  
Paul hesitated, seeing his attitude. However, the sight of a savage holding his possibly dying daughter was too much for him. He went to them and pulled Jolon away from her. Jolon reacted instinctively, hitting him as hard as he could, and then he tried to go back to her. The gunshot sounded like an explosion to Phoebe, and she saw Jolon falling toward her in horror, just as she lost consciousness for good.  
  
A scream was heard from behind them. Paige was now running toward them, no longer prostrated but rather irate.  
  
"What have you done?" She was yelling now. "Oh my god, what have you done?"  
  
The soldiers lowered their weapons then, too late however.  
  
The braves, who had been preparing for a new attack, just watched as she ran toward Jolon and Phoebe, and then she turned toward both camps in turn.  
  
"They only wanted to prevent this… What have you done?" She repeated, now in tears.  
  
Paul was kneeling by the two bodies, tears rolling freely down his cheeks. He took Phoebe in his arms after pushing an unconscious Jolon away from her. Then he carried her behind the soldiers' line…  
  
Leo and Piper had also watched in horror what was happening, but did not dare come closer until then. The sergeant hesitated at seeing the people he had come for walking toward them freely. Piper looked at Jolon, still lying on the ground unconscious, and then at Paige, who was crying uncontrollably. She went to her, and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her toward the soldiers, followed closely by Leo.  
  
These were unsure of what to do. However, considering that they had found the ones that they had come for, and knowing that they had been the ones who hurt Phoebe, the sergeant signaled retreat to the men. The braves watched in relief as the soldiers left.  
  
The Shaman waited only until the last of them had re-entered the forest to send some of the braves to get Jolon's body among others and bring them back to the village…  
  
Some of the braves started talking about revenge again, even as they were taking care of the wounded, and burying their dead. However, this time the Shaman put his foot down. He went to the council at this point.  
  
"Haven't we had enough bloodshed?" He began emphatically. "Aren't we going to stop this monstrosity? How many more have to die for you to understand the futility of this war?" He was looking around at the Elders, delivering his speech with more passion than they ever had known him to express. They could clearly see his pain, as he worried about his son as well.  
  
"Let's move on," he continued. "Let not the ones who died have done so in vain."  
  
The Elders finally approved, after some delay. Then, they announced that the tribe would be moving as soon as possible.  
  
Paul was the first to arrive in the clearing where they had left the trappers, followed closely by his nieces and the soldiers. The trappers, seeing Phoebe hurt, called for blood again.  
  
Paul was the ones who dissuaded them. He told them that in fact, the soldiers had hurt his daughter. Some of them were still adamant about returning to finish the Indians, but the sergeant was very clear on this:  
  
"I will leave some men here to ensure that the Indians won't come out and cause trouble. But that's that. No more going after a fight."  
  
His company had lost two men as well, and the others were carrying them.  
  
They dug the graves while watching for a possible retaliation that never came. Phoebe was under the care of the medic, but he knew that little could be done in this place. He came to the sergeant with a very worried expression.  
  
"We have to bring her to a doctor, and very soon…"  
  
The sergeant did not need more, leaving half of his men behind with the grim task of burying their fallen, he indicated to the others to build a mean to transport her with what they could find…  
  
Phoebe woke up a few times during the trip back to the outpost, but only for short instants. In those moments, all she could think about was the pain, not only coming from her wound but much more because of Jolon. She had no way to know if he was still alive, and at first she even tried to get off the stretcher that they were carrying her on. However, none needed to keep her there, as she was too weak, she soon realized.  
  
At some point, she thought that she heard his voice in her mind and wondered if she was not delirious. He was telling her to wait for him; that he would find her again…  
  
No matter what she thought it was, she let this give her some hope, as she slipped once more into darkness…  
  
It had been two months, two very long months. One of them, she had spent on her back recovering from the wound at the outpost, where fortunately, a very good surgeon resided.  
  
When she started to feel stronger, she tried to get away. However, she had to accept that she was still too weak, as her father caught up with her even before she had left the outpost.  
  
Her heart sunk when they forced her to go back home. All the way, she searched the surroundings for a sign of him, but found none. At first, everyone was relieved to see them back, even though Paige had many issues to work through. Leo, Piper and her, had made their way back home earlier in the month, and that morning, Paige came to see Phoebe.  
  
This one was trying her best to put on a good face for her family, but she missed Jolon terribly and it took its toll on her every day. The pregnancy did not help her moving on either.  
  
Paige found her in contemplation, still seemingly lost back in the wilderness.  
  
"Phoebe?" She asked softly.  
  
Phoebe turned to her, at first startled then she smiled gently for her cousin. She knew that she was not the only one who had left some of herself back there. For her part, Paige was doing her best to forget about it…  
  
"How are you?" Phoebe asked softly.  
  
"As well as can be… you?"  
  
Phoebe sighed heavily.  
  
"I don't know yet…"  
  
"You have to move on, Phoebe…As terrible as it is, you have to accept that he's gone…"  
  
Phoebe reacted forcefully at this:  
  
"I'll never forget. Besides, I don't believe that he's gone."  
  
Paige protested:  
  
"But I saw him…"  
  
Phoebe interjected:  
  
"No! You saw him getting hurt. However, I'm sure that he's alive…"  
  
"How could you be so sure?"  
  
"The same way I knew that I loved him, even before I met him. I know that he's out there. I just wish that he was here already…" She added, her voice trailing sadly.  
  
Paige came to her and wrapped her arms around Phoebe.  
  
"And then what? What if he was? What would you do?"  
  
"If I knew where he is, I would go to him myself…"  
  
Paige eyed her incredulously:  
  
"You can't be seriously thinking of returning there…"  
  
Phoebe gazed at her cousin sweetly:  
  
"I'm sorry about what happened to you, I really am. Jolon tried to prevent it…However, in my case I found joy beyond compare in that place… Even in exile, my life had never been so fulfilling. I love him, Paige. With all my heart… And I want to be with him, wherever he will be…"  
  
Paige thought of protesting but her cousin seemed so certain that she watched her curiously instead.  
  
"You really mean it, don't you?"  
  
Phoebe smiled anew:  
  
"Yes I do. I've never been surer about anything in my life…" She added, as she turned once more toward the window, lost in thoughts yet again.  
  
Paige got up then and just said goodbye before leaving her cousin.  
  
Phoebe had to force herself to get out of bed. There was more than one reason, why she did not feel like getting up… The night before, she had finally told her parents about her pregnancy and the drama that ensued had been unpleasant to say the least. She feared that from now on they would look at her in a different light. She had not stopped at this revelation, since her father had become enraged again, almost ready to go back there and kill the Indians himself.  
  
"Please daddy," Phoebe had said, "I'm happy about this baby, please don't be angry."  
  
Prue had exploded:  
  
"Happy? Happy? How could you say that? My god, girl, it's terrible. Nothing to be happy about!"  
  
Phoebe had tried to reason with her even as Prue looked at her daughter with horror in her eyes at her lack of concern, while Paul fumed silently at the news.  
  
"Mother, you don't know what happened there, so you can't judge. No one forced me into anything. I did what I did because I wanted to. Just like Leo and Piper…"  
  
  
  
Leo and Piper had gotten married only the week before. Piper had been reluctant at first, concerned that her social status was not up to his standard. However Leo persisted, telling her that he simply could not imagine his life without her. Piper had come one morning to see Phoebe as well, almost ashamed of her happiness, but Phoebe had reassured her immediately:  
  
"Piper, if you're happy, that's all I want for you. Please, do not reproach happiness to yourself. You deserve it, and so does Leo…"  
  
Piper had embraced her emotionally then:  
  
"Oh Phoebe, I wish that you could be just as happy as I am. It's not fair to you," she had added with a cloud passing over her lovely features.  
  
"Don't worry about me, just be happy yourself…"  
  
They had cried a little at this; Piper knowing how difficult it must have been for her cousin. She had tried herself to imagine her life without Leo, and found it horrible, which is why she was overjoyed that he did not care about their differences…  
  
This flood of memories had kept her in bed longer, Phoebe realized. She knew that she was putting off going to her parents. She loved them very much, but she also understood that they would never accept her new way of thinking. She had lived free and away from all the conventions. Now she knew that it was the way she had always wanted to live. Nevertheless, she could not imagine how she would return to that. Not without him…  
  
In the end, she took her courage in hands and got up, dressing up as conservatively and properly as she could, to try appeasing her mother.  
  
They were waiting for her in the dining room. The breakfast had apparently not been served yet. She concluded that they were intent on waiting for her, and possibly pursuing the unpleasant conversation. She sighed before sitting at the table…  
  
"How are you feeling this morning?" Her mother asked stiffly.  
  
"Fine mother, don't worry about me."  
  
Prue was about to retort but seemed to think better of it…  
  
It was Paul, who continued then:  
  
"Your mother and I have discussed the situation at length. We think that it would be better for you if you went somewhere else until…"  
  
Phoebe sighed anew but did not answer.  
  
Paul went on:  
  
"Paige just left, but she has offered to accompany you. I want to send you to my brother's, who has a ranch about a hundred miles from here, as you know. He will take care of you and make the arrangements for the baby when he's born…"  
  
Phoebe's heart sunk at the implication:  
  
"You can't seriously believe that I would abandon my baby, now can you?"  
  
"There is no other way, Phoebe. You can't be known to have had a baby out of wedlock; or your life would be over around here."  
  
Phoebe became angry:  
  
"Then I'll go live elsewhere. I have no intention of letting anyone take my baby away from me. He's all that I have left…"  
  
Paul replied angrily:  
  
"You're going to do what we tell you, Phoebe. This could bring shame not only to you, but to our whole family…"  
  
Phoebe got up suddenly:  
  
"If you try to take my baby, I will run away and you'll never find me again…"  
  
"Come on Phoebe," Prue intervened, "where would you go? We only want what is best for you."  
  
Phoebe turned to her with fire in her eyes:  
  
"Then leave me alone. I will go to your brother's, father, if that's what you want, but I won't abandon my child. Of that you can be certain." She then stormed out of the room before they could say anything else.  
  
Instead of going up to her room, she found herself outside, on the way to the stables. This place was still the only one where she felt free. There, she could dream of the wonderful weeks that she had shared with Jolon. Moreover, she could let herself imagine that he was coming for her…  
  
Suddenly, she thought that she heard his voice. He was telling her that he was on his way to her.  
  
"Be patient my love, I'm coming for you…"  
  
She shook her head, wondering if she had not dreamt it again. Yet, she was wide-awake. A strange feeling pushed her to go out then. She gazed around curiously, not knowing exactly what she was looking for. When her eyes fell on the mansion, she noticed a tall man walking toward the door. He was wearing a tired suit. More like travelling clothes… These were obviously worse for wear, and she wondered who that could be. For a moment, she thought that he was some solicitor and she knew that he would be disappointed, as her parents were not very patient with these. Particularly not one with this tired appearance…  
  
Then, he stopped just as he was about to climb the stairs to the porch.  
  
For some reason, she held her breath, as if knowing that something extraordinary was happening.  
  
He turned slowly toward her, and it took her a moment to recognize him in these clothes.  
  
He was there at last, and she was paralyzed. She had feared the worst so many times in spite of her assurances to the contrary. Now, seeing him, she was afraid that she was still dreaming.  
  
Jolon started slowly toward her, possibly wondering the same thing. As he came nearer, she finally found the strength to move… Believing more and more that he was truly there… she took one hesitant step, then another, and then she began running toward him, throwing herself in his arms at last, with the feeling that she had again found home. He held on to her as if he was afraid that she would disappear if he let go. Then he took her face with both his hands, kissing her and stroking her, obviously trying to feel her as much through his touch than his eyes. She did the same soon, crying of joy. This lasted a few minutes where they simply just stared at each other.  
  
Then he began:  
  
"Phoebe… oh Phoebe, I was so afraid that I lost you…"  
  
Phoebe asked in a little voice:  
  
"How did you find me?"  
  
He smiled sweetly:  
  
"I followed my dreams. They led me to you. And to our child," he added putting his hand softly to her belly.  
  
Phoebe smiled as well:  
  
"How did you know? I never had a chance to tell you."  
  
"The same way that I found you… You told me in the dreams…"  
  
She did not need anymore than this, but he went on.  
  
"Phoebe," he began more seriously, "I came to tell you that if you want me to come live in your world, I will… I don't care where we are, just as long as I am with you…"  
  
For another long moment, she could not move or talk, the emotion again constricting her throat. Then rather than answering, she took his hand and pulled him back toward the stables. There, she simply opened two of he pens and indicated the horses and the saddles to him.  
  
He turned to her in amazement.  
  
Finally, she found her voice:  
  
"I'm going with you. This is where I belong, in the wild. I've always known that in my heart, but you showed me that I could live it…"  
  
He took her in his arms again, kissing her passionately, but she pushed him away reluctantly:  
  
"Come on, hurry. I don't want anything to keep me away from you ever again, even if that was my own parents…"  
  
"Are you sure?" Jolon asked, unable to hide his worry.  
  
Phoebe smiled joyously:  
  
"I'm absolutely sure. Hurry, I only have one last thing to do while you prepare the horses…"  
  
She went to the back of the stable where she kept paper and ink for her writings. It had always been one of her favorite places for this as well.  
  
When they were ready, she simply tore the dress to ride the horse, as she knew best, and then she pinned the note on the stable door. They left without ever looking back. She knew that nothing she owned here was needed where she was going, and left it all behind…  
  
A while later, Prue found the note, as she was coming to get Phoebe back inside.  
  
She exclaimed in a strangled voice as she started reading it:  
  
'Mother, Father, I love you very much, you have to believe me. Moreover, in a way, it pains me to leave you. However, all my life I have known that my place was elsewhere. I told you often mother, but you did not listen…  
  
I didn't know where until the last few months. I am sorry for the pain that I caused you, but know this, I will be happy. And if you love me, you will be happy for me as well in time. This, because I found my place in this world… I took two of the horses with me, which is all I will ever need from you.  
  
Don't try to find me, don't be sad. Just know that I am safe and at peace, with the man that I will love forever…  
  
Love, Phoebe. 


	9. The Wild, Epilogue

The Wild  
  
Epilogue  
  
The village had moved a while ago, and the Shaman felt that he could finally relax, as the braves had gotten over their desire for revenge. Jolon was gone however and he felt the weight of his loss tremendously. It had not been a small feat to convince the Chief to reinstate him in the tribe… Now, he wondered what it all had been for… He had nursed his adoptive son back to health, only to find that the emotional wound was far worse than the physical one.  
  
Jolon had known in his heart that she was alive. What he did not know for sure is how she felt about him at the time. Eventually, it all became too much for the young man, and in spite of his gratitude to the old man, he had declined once more the succession that this one offered.  
  
Of all things, he had decided that if she wanted him to, he would go back to her and live in her world.  
  
The Shaman shook his head in disbelief, still incredulous about the depth of his love for her, and somewhat envious as well. He had lost his wife a long time ago to the fever, but even if he had loved her very much, he was certain that he would not have sacrificed his way of life for her. How wonderful must have been that woman for Jolon to do this. He almost wished that he had tried to find out.  
  
Then again, he thought, maybe it also had to do with the baby. No matter the reason, he was sad and disappointed to have lost one that had been more than a son to him.  
  
He listened to the sounds of the forest, trying to bring back the peace in his soul. This was needed for the dream quest that he had planned.  
  
He still wanted to make sure that his son would be well…  
  
He slowly slipped into the dream, feeling himself float far from where he was. He suddenly saw the road and followed it, letting the dream lead him on. In the distance, he found what he was looking for, but was surprised as well. He had expected the city or at least some of those ugly white men's habitations… He soon realized that Jolon and the girl were on their way back to the mountains. Joy built in his soul, as his hopes returned all at once. Still, they were not coming home yet, but rather going back to the modest home that they had built for themselves. The dream ended suddenly, as all of his worries returned. He was certain of only one thing. He had to make sure that his son would be allowed to come home.  
  
He immediately went into action, not wanting to lose any more time.  
  
In the chief's tent, he waited patiently until this one acknowledged his presence. He knew that this would be difficult and that he would have to be more convincing than he ever had been in his life.  
  
Finally the chief was ready and he listened to the Shaman's arguments in silence. His stoic expression was in no way indicative of his true feelings. In the end, the chief still stayed silent for a long moment after the old shaman had stopped talking.  
  
"I understand how much you care about all this, but I still can't accept this woman as part of our tribe. The affront to my daughter was unforgivable…"  
  
Noayak had been listening in, unbeknown to them, and she came closer at this point.  
  
"Father, I disagree. True, I was very angry when this happened. True also, I still hurt because of Jolon's change of heart. However, I've had time to think since then. Jolon was right to follow his heart. I wouldn't have wanted a man who longed for another… I think that I deserve better… I've seen what she tried to do for us, how she almost died for Jolon as well. I can't and won't deny this tribe his gift, only for the sake of misplaced pride. I implore you to reconsider…"  
  
The chief had listened to his daughter in amazement. She was actually giving him a lesson in forgiveness and, if it gave him a slight sense of guilt, and hurt his pride as well, he was not about to be outdone by his own daughter on this.  
  
He turned back toward the hopeful Shaman:  
  
"If my daughter sees no reason to keep the girl away, then I believe that there's no reason for anyone else to do so."  
  
The Shaman simply nodded, trying his best to hide his intense relief. He knew that the chief didn't want to see that, as changing his mind must already have been difficult for him, without witnessing some kind of triumph in the old man's expression.  
  
He left the tent with a lighter heart, already preparing to greet back his prodigal son and the new family he brought along with him…  
  
Phoebe's parents had a very hard time accepting her words. The way she had left was so abrupt, and had followed the unpleasant fight about her baby. They were still wondering if she had not run away because of it. Paul looked for her everywhere that he could think of; even going back to the Indian village, only to find it abandoned. For a whole year, he shared his time between his duties, and this search. Then one night, it all changed. That night his daughter came to him in a dream. She looked happy and serene, as he had never seen her. In her arms, she was cradling a small infant, and he knew instinctively that it had to be hers. In the dream, she showed him the baby and even her surroundings, smiling softly at him. He woke up with an intense feeling of relief, convinced at last that his daughter was happy and well. However, he still had a lingering doubt until his wife and later in the day, his nieces came to him with the same story about a wonderful dream.  
  
From then on, every so often, Phoebe visited them in dreams… The only cloud left afterward was that they never saw her again, but they never doubted for a moment that her life had been good.  
  
Paul and Prue still felt a void in their life, however. One that they filled by taking care of Paige... This one had a hard time getting over her misadventure, and only their nurturing allowed her to let herself love in time. A few years later, she finally met a sweet man, who helped put behind her all the sad memories…  
  
They arrived at the tent that Phoebe and Jolon had built for themselves, and there they found the Shaman waiting for them with a broad smile. Jolon had not been prepared for this. He had already made up his mind that they would live by themselves and Phoebe had agreed to it, as they simply wanted to be together.  
  
However, seeing him there, and then hearing the good news, brought a renewed joy to them. They packed the little that they had there, and followed him home, convinced that they had found true happiness, at last… 


End file.
